Abstract
An iron Fischer–Tropsch (F–T) catalyst has been prepared and evaluated using CO hydrogenation at 623 and 723K as a test reaction. Micro-reactor measurements establish reaction profiles. The reaction is then scaled up to enable inelastic neutron scattering (INS) measurements of the catalyst to be acquired. The INS spectra (200–4000cm−1) are characterised by a combination of hydrocarbon moieties and hydroxyl groups. Whereas the low temperature sample is characterised by an aliphatic overlayer, the hydrocarbon features of the high temperature sample are attributed to partially hydrogenated polycyclic aromatic compounds. The catalyst is further characterised by a combination of temperature-programmed oxidation, powder X-ray diffraction, Raman scattering and transmission electron microscopy. This series of measurements is combined to propose a model for the composition of the catalyst as it progresses from the precursor state to steady-state operation. The work features some of the challenges associated with using INS to characterise heterogeneously catalysed reactions systems.
Highlights
Fischer–Tropsch (F–T) synthesis is a well-established catalytic reaction system, using synthesis gas (CO and H2) obtained from resources such as coal, natural gas and biomass to produce a variety of hydrocarbon products [1]
Micro-reactor measurements examining the hydrogenation of CO have established reaction profiles for this material at 623 and 723 K
The inelastic neutron scattering (INS) samples were further characterised by a combination of X-ray diffraction (XRD)
Summary
Fischer–Tropsch (F–T) synthesis is a well-established catalytic reaction system, using synthesis gas (CO and H2) obtained from resources such as coal, natural gas and biomass to produce a variety of hydrocarbon products [1]. Whereas recent large-scale unit operations have tended to feature Co catalysts [4], there is an increasing interest in Fe-based catalysts, not least as they offer the opportunity to co-synthesise olefins alongside alkanes, which otherwise tend to dominate the product slate in Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (F–TS) [5]. This new opportunity to significantly contribute to a broader base for large volume chemical feedstocks is known as the Fischer–Tropsch to Olefin (F–TO) process. In order to manipulate Fe-based F–TS catalysts to favour certain product distributions, it is first necessary to understand how a standard Fe-based catalyst
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