Slurry phase Fischer-Tropsch synthesis: Cobalt plus a water-gas shift catalyst

Abstract

The rate of synthesis gas consumption over a cobalt FischerTropsch catalyst was measured in a well-mixed, continuous-flow, slurry reactor at 220 to 240[degrees]C, 0.5 to 1.5 MPa, H[sub 2]/CO feed ratios of 1.5 to 3.5 and conversions of 7 to 68% of hydrogen and 11 to 73% of carbon monoxide. The inhibiting effect of carbon monoxide was determined quantitatively and a Langmuir-Hinshelwood-type equation of the following form was found to best represent the results: -R[sub H[sub 2+Co]] = (a P[sub CO]P[sub H[sub 2]])/(1 + b P[sub CO])[sup 2]. The apparent activation energy was 93 to 95 kJ/mol. Data from previous studies on cobalt-based Fischer-Tropsch catalysts are also well correlated with this rate expression.