Effect of reaction conditions on the product distribution during Fischer–Tropsch synthesis over an industrial Fe-Mn catalyst

• Published in: Applied catalysis. A, General General, 2001-06, Vol.214 (1), p.77-86
• Main Authors: Ji, Yuan-Yuan, Xiang, Hong-Wei, Yang, Ji-Li, Xu, Yuan-Yuan, Li, Yong-Wang, Zhong, Bing
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Catalysis; Catalytic reactions; Chemistry; Exact sciences and technology; Fe-Mn catalyst; Fischer–Tropsch synthesis; General and physical chemistry; Product distribution; Re-adsorption of alkenes; Theory of reactions, general kinetics. Catalysis. Nomenclature, chemical documentation, computer chemistry
• ISSN: 0926-860X; 1873-3875
• DOI: 10.1016/S0926-860X(01)00480-X

The product distributions of Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS) over an industrial Fe-Mn catalyst are investigated under different reaction conditions in an integral fixed bed reactor. The typical non-ASF distributions of the FTS products are analyzed in terms of the competitive steps of the surface reactions, and the desorption, diffusion and re-adsorption of alkenes under these broad reaction conditions. It is found that alkene selectivities are significantly higher than those for alkanes in a broad chain length range from C 2 to about C 20 over the Fe-Mn catalyst under most reaction conditions. Under the operation conditions of the catalyst, alkenes with carbon number larger than 27 cannot be detected in the wax products. Consequently, the contents of heavy alkanes have a slight increase at about C 27, implying that primary alkenes with chain longer than C 27 are dominantly hydrogenated to alkanes due to the long residence time of the products in the catalyst pores.