Abstract
The production of light olefins, as the critical components in chemical industries, is possible via different technologies. The Fischer–Tropsch to olefin (FTO) process aims to convert syngas to light olefins with high selectivity over a proper catalyst, reduce methane formation, and avoid the production of excess CO2. This review describes the production of light olefins through the FTO process using both unsupported and supported iron-based catalysts. The catalytic properties and performances of both the promoted and bimetallic unsupported catalysts are reviewed. The effect of support and its physico-chemical properties on the catalyst activity are also described. The proper catalyst should have high stability to provide long-term performance without reducing the activity and selectivity towards the desired product. The good dispersion of active metals on the surface, proper porosity, optimized metal-support interaction, a high degree of reducibility, and providing a sufficient active phase for the reaction are important parameters affecting the reaction. The selection of the suitable catalyst with enhanced activity and the optimum process conditions can increase the possibility of the FTO reaction for light-olefins production. The production of light olefins via the FTO process over iron-based catalysts is a promising method, as iron is cheap, shows higher resistance to sulfur, and has a higher WGS activity which can be helpful for the feed gas with a low H2/CO ratio, and also has higher selectivity towards light olefins.
Highlights
As the key components in chemical industries, light olefins are used to produce many different derivatives used in our daily lives [1]
Syngas is directly converted into light olefins via Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (Fischer–Tropsch to olefins: FTO) or OX-ZEO process [4,5,6,7]
Increasing the reaction temperature could help to shift the selectivity to C2–C4 by lowering the α value; at the same time, it could increase the selectivity to methane; and it is the main restriction for the industrial application of the FTO process
Summary
As the key components in chemical industries, light olefins (ethylene, propylene, butenes, and butadiene) are used to produce many different derivatives used in our daily lives [1]. Syngas-based processes are known as a possible solution for light olefins production. The different processes for the production of light olefins from syngas produced from coal, natural gas, or biomass-based feedstocks are shown in Figure 1 [4]. The production of light olefins from syngas is divided into two main groups of indirect and direct processes. Syngas is directly converted into light olefins via Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (Fischer–Tropsch to olefins: FTO) or OX-ZEO process [4,5,6,7]. FTO is another direct route for olefin production from syngas, and this method with moderate reaction conditions has attracted more attention from both the industry and academia
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