Further Development of Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis

Abstract

This chapter discusses the prospects of Fischer- Tropsch Synthesis (F/T-Synthesis) to produce chemical raw materials that can pay for the investments and costs. F/T-Synthesis is not limited to coal, but coal seems the only future raw material for producing synthesis gas. The main problem of F/T-Synthesis is the development of stable catalysts for the production of ethylene, propylene, long chain alcohols, and long chain hydrocarbons or even polymethylene as an alternative process to ethylene polymerization. The syntheses of olefins by modified F/T-Synthesis produce 40%–50% hydrocarbons and up to 30% of methane. Another disadvantage of F/T-Synthesis is the rather large number of acids, alcohols, and ketones in small amounts of each type. Therefore, separation processes are expensive. The new catalyst routes are: iron-clusters, eventually in homogeneous reactions; new iron-alloys; and, vanadine for producing olefins and suppressing methane formation.