Boosting Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis via Tuning of N Dopants in TiO_(2)@CN-Supported Ru Catalysts

Nitrogen(N)-doped carbon materials as metal catalyst supports have attracted signifi cant attention,but the eff ect of N dopants on catalytic performance remains unclear,especially for complex reaction processes such as Fischer-Tropsch synthesis(FTS).Herein,we engineered ruthenium(Ru)FTS catalysts supported on N-doped carbon overlayers on TiO_(2)nanoparticles.By regulating the carbonization temperatures,we successfully controlled the types and contents of N dopants to identify their impacts on metal-support interactions(MSI).Our fi ndings revealed that N dopants establish a favorable surface environment for electron transfer from the support to the Ru species.Moreover,pyridinic N demonstrates the highest electron-donating ability,followed by pyrrolic N and graphitic N.In addition to realizing excellent catalytic stability,strengthening the interaction between Ru sites and N dopants increases the Ru^(0)/Ru^(δ+)ratios to enlarge the active site numbers and surface electron density of Ru species to enhance the strength of adsorbed CO.Consequently,it improves the catalyst’s overall performance,encompassing intrinsic and apparent activities,as well as its ability for carbon chain growth.Accordingly,the as-synthesized Ru/TiO_(2)@CN-700 catalyst with abundant pyridine N dopants exhibits a superhigh C_(5+)time yield of 219.4 mol CO/(mol Ru·h)and C_(5+)selectivity of 85.5%.

Microchannel reactors for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis:Experimental investigation and mathematical modeling

The Fischer-Tropsch synthesis is a significant technology for converting coal,natural gas,and biomass into synthetic fuels.In recent years,the use of microchannel reactors for the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis has attracted significant attention.Fischer-Tropsch synthesis experiments were carried out in a microchannel reactor and the influences of reaction conditions on the experimental results were investigated in this study.Based on the experimental data,a dynamic multi-component pseudo-homogeneous variable-volume flow model of microchannel reactors for the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis was built to determine the pressure-,velocity-,conversion-and(component-wise)concentration-distributions in reaction channels.The model takes into account the combined effects of gas volume expansion caused by the frictional pressure drop and gas volume contraction caused by reaction consumption.A novel effective method for calculating the pressure and superficial gas velocity values in microchannel reactors was proposed in the model.Besides that,two sets of experimental data were selected from references to evaluate the validity and accuracy of the model.The reaction performances in the microchannels were analyzed carefully based on the calculated results.

Kinetics of the water-gas shift reaction in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis over a nano-structured iron catalyst

Based on formate and direct oxidation mechanisms,three Langmuir-Hinshelwood-Hougen-Watson （LHHW） kinetic models of the water-gasshift （WGS） reaction over a nano-structured iron catalyst under Fischer-Tropsch synthesis （FTS） reaction conditions were derived and compared with those over the conventional catalyst.The conventional and nanostructured Fe/Cu/La/Si catalysts were prepared by co-precipitation of Fe and Cu nitrates in aqueous media and water-oil micro-emulsion,respectively.The WGS kinetic data were measured by experiments over a wide range of reaction conditions and comparisons were also made for various rate equations.WGS rate expressions based on the formate mechanism with the assumption that the formation of formate is rate determining step were found to be the best.

Recent advances in understanding the key catalyst factors for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis

Catalytic conversion of synthesis gas （CO＋H2） into hydrocarbons, also known as Fischer-Tropsch （FT） synthesis, is a crucial reaction for the translbrmation of non-petroleum carbon resources such as coal, natural gas, shale gas, coal-bed gas and biogas, as well as biomass into liquid fuels and chemicals. Many factors can influence the catalytic behavior of a FT catalyst. This review highlights recent advances in understanding some key catalyst factors, including the chemical state of active phases, the promoters, the size and the microenvironment of active phase, which determine the CO conversion activity and the product selectivity, particularly the selectivity to C5 ＋ hydrocarbons.

Study of Manganese Promoter on a Precipitated Iron-Based Catalyst for Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis

The effects of Manganese （Mn） incorporation on a precipitated iron-based Fischer-Tropsch synthesis （FTS） catalyst were investigated using N2 physical adsorption, air differential thermal analysis （DTA）, H2 temperature-programmed reduction （TPR）, and Mǒssbauer spectroscopy. The FTS performances of the catalysts were tested in a slurry phase reactor. The characterization results indicated that Mn increased the surface area of the catalyst, and improved the dispersion of （α-Fe2O3 and reduced its crystallite size as a result of the high dispersion effect of Mn and the Fe-Mn interaction. The Fe-Mn interaction also suppressed the reduction of （α-Fe2O3 to Fe3O4, stabilized the FeO phase, and （or） decreased the carburization degree of the catalysts in the H2 and syngas reduction processes. In addition, incorporated Mn decreased the initial catalyst activity, but improved the catalyst stability because Mn restrained the reoxidation of iron carbides to Fe3O4, and improved further carburization of the catalysts. Manganese suppressed the formation of CH4 and increased the selectivity to light olefins （C2-4^=）, but it had little effect on the selectivities to heavy （C5＋） hydrocarbons. All these results indicated that the strong Fe-Mn interaction suppressed the chemisorptive effect of the Mn as an electronic promoter, to some extent, in the precipitated iron-manganese catalyst system.

Study on iron-manganese catalysts for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis

铁锰催化剂被一起沉淀方法准备。催化剂的描述被使用 X 光衍射(XRD ) 执行，扫描电子显微镜学(SEM ) ，温度程序减小(TPR ) ， N2 吸附解吸附作用大小。从 Fischer-Tropsch 合成的催化表演测试的结果证明铁锰催化剂对催化剂作文和材料来源敏感过度。当 CH4 和 CO2 由使用从铁(II ) 准备的铁锰催化剂减少了时， C24 轻石蜡增加了，这被发现当 CH4 和 CO2 由使用从铁(II ) 准备的铁锰催化剂减少了时硫酸盐(催化剂) 。催化剂的活动和选择处于不同运作的条件被学习。结果证明为 C24 轻石蜡生产的最好的运作的条件在 260 点是 H2/CO=1/1 (GHSV=2400 h1 )

Effect of Manganese Incorporation Manner on an Iron-Based Catalyst for Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis

A systematic study was undertaken to investigate the effects of the manganese incorporation manner on the textural properties, bulk and surface phase compositions, reduction/carburization behaviors, and surface basicity of an iron-based Fischer-Tropsch synthesis （FTS） catalyst. The catalyst samples were characterized by N2 physisorption, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS）, H2 （or CO） temperature-programmed reduction （TPR）, CO2 temperature-programmed desorption （TPD）, and M5ssbauer spectroscopy. The FTS performance of the catalysts was studied in a slurry-phase continuously stirred tank reactor （CSTR）. The characterization results indicated that the manganese promoter incorporated by using the coprecipitation method could improve the dispersion of iron oxide, and decrease the size of the iron oxide crystallite. The manganese incorporated with the impregnation method is enriched on the catalyst＇s surface. The manganese promoter added with the impregnation method suppresses the reduction and carburization of the catalyst in H2, CO, and syngas because of the excessive enrichment of manganese on the catalyst surface. The catalyst added manganese using the coprecipitation method has the highest CO conversion （51.9%） and the lowest selectivity for heavy hydrocarbons （C12＋）.

Ru particle size effect in Ru/CNT-catalyzed Fischer-Tropsch synthesis

Carbon nanotube （CNT）-supported Ru nanoparticles with mean sizes ranging from 2.3 to 9.2 nm were prepared by different post-treatments and studied for Fischer-Tropsch （FT） synthesis. The effects of Ru particle size on catalytic behaviors were investigated at both shorter and longer contact times. At shorter contact time, where the secondary reactions were insignificant, the turnover frequency （TOF） for CO conversion was dependent on the mean size of Ru particles; TOF increased with the mean size of Ru particles from 2.3 to 6.3 nm and then decreased slightly. At the same time, the selectivities to C5＋ hydrocarbons increased gradually with the mean size of Ru particles up to 6.3 nm and then kept almost unchanged with a further increase in Ru particle size. At longer contact time, C10-C20 selectivity increased significantly at the expense of C21＋ selectivity, suggesting the occurrence of the selective hydrocracking of C21＋ to C10-C20 hydrocarbons.

Comparing the deactivation behaviour of Co/CNT and Co/γ-Al_2O_3 nano catalysts in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis

An extensive study of Fischer-Tropsch （FT） synthesis on cobalt nano particles supported on γ-alumina and carbon nanotubes （CNTs） catalysts is reported.20 wt% of cobalt is loaded on the supports by impregnation method.The deactivation of the two catalysts was studied at 220 C,2 MPa and 2.7 L/h feed flow rate using a fixed bed micro-reactor.The calcined fresh and used catalysts were characterized extensively and different sources of catalyst deactivation were identified.Formation of cobalt-support mixed oxides in the form of xCoO yAl2O3 and cobalt aluminates formation were the main sources of the Co/γ-Al2O3 catalyst deactivation.However sintering and cluster growth of cobalt nano particles are the main sources of the Co/CNTs catalyst deactivation.In the case of the Co/γ-Al2O3 catalyst,after 720 h on stream of continuous FT synthesis the average cobalt nano particles diameter increased from 15.9 to 18.4 nm,whereas,under the same reaction conditions the average cobalt nano particles diameter of the Co/CNTs increased from 11.2 to 17.8 nm.Although,the initial FT activity of the Co/CNTs was 26% higher than that of the Co/γ-Al2O3,the FT activity over the Co/CNTs after 720 h on stream decreased by 49% and that over the Co/γ-Al2O3 by 32%.For the Co/γ-Al2O3 catalyst 6.7% of total activity loss and for the Co/CNTs catalyst 11.6% of total activity loss cannot be recovered after regeneration of the catalyst at the same conditions of the first regeneration step.It is concluded that using CNTs as cobalt catalyst support is beneficial in carbon utilization as compared to γ-Al2O3 support,but the Co/CNTs catalyst is more susceptible for deactivation.

Effect of barium on reducibility and activity for cobalt-based Fischer-Tropsch synthesis catalysts

Barium modified Co/Al2O3 catalysts were prepared by incipient wetness impregnation.The catalysts were characterized by XRD,TPD and DRIFTS.The catalytic activity for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis was measured in a continuously stirred tank reactor.It was found that small amounts of BaO（≤2 wt%） improved the cobalt reducibility,which led to more cobalt active sites on the catalyst surface,and then resulted in higher CO conversion and C5＋ selectivity.However,for the catalysts with high BaO loadings negative effects on the catalytic activity and selectivity for high hydrocarbons were observed because of low cobalt reducibility.

Metal-organic framework(MOF)-derived catalysts for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis: Recent progress and future perspectives

Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis(FTS) is an important catalytic chemical reaction that converts a mixture of CO and H2(syngas) derived from biomass, coal or natural gas into ultra-clean fuels or value-added chemicals. However, most traditional catalysts used in the Fischer-Tropsch process are faced with the problems of high deactivation rate triggered by sintering, phase changes and oxidation which hamper their catalytic performance. Metal-organic frameworks(MOFs)-derived materials have been a promising alternative in addressing the catalyst deactivation problems in FTS because of the encapsulation of their metal nanoparticles in carbon matrix and absence of large particle size, among other reasons. Therefore, this review emphasizes the most recent research headway in the investigation of MOFs as precursors to achieve high-performance FTS catalysts. Precisely, the design of iron and cobalt-based FTS catalysts from parent MOFs via MOF-mediated synthesis, the catalytic activity of the MOF-derived materials and the promoter effects under FTS operation were outlined and discussed. We have also evaluated the influence of MOF structures on the FTS performance and compared them with traditional/commercially available catalysts to show the importance of this approach. Finally, the challenges and opportunities to further expedite the extensive research efforts and promote their applications in material design and FT technology were mentioned.

Effect of Al_2O_3 Binder on the Precipitated Iron-Based Catalysts for Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis

A series of iron-based Fischer-Tropsch synthesis （FTS） catalysts incorporated with Al2O3 binder were prepared by the combination of co-precipitation and spray drying technology. The catalyst samples were characterized by using N2 physical adsorption, temperature-programmed reduction/desorption （TPR/TPD） and MSssbauer effect spectroscopy （MES） methods. The characterization results indicated that the BET surface area increases with increasing Al2O3 content and passes through a maximum at the Al2O3/Fe ratio of 10/100 （weight basis）. After the point, it decreases with further increase in Al2O3 content. The incorporation of Al2O3 binder was found to weaken the surface basicity and suppress the reduction and carburization of iron-based catalysts probably due to the strong K-Al2O3 and Fe-Al2O3 interactions. Furthermore, the H2 adsorption ability of the catalysts is enhanced with increasing Al2O3 content. The FTS performances of the catalysts were tested in a slurry-phase continuously stirred tank reactor （CSTR） under the reaction conditions of 260 ℃, 1.5 MPa, 1000 h^-1 and molar ratio of H2/CO 0.67 for 200 h. The results showed that the addition of small amounts of Al2O3 affects the activity of iron-based catalysts to a little extent. However, with further increase of Al2O3 content, the FTS activity and water gas shift reaction （WGS） activity are decreased severely. The addition of appropriate Al2O3 do not affect the product selectivity, but the catalysts incorporated with large amounts of Al2O3 have higher selectivity for light hydrocarbons and lower selectivity for heavy hydrocarbons.

Effect of nano-particle size on product distribution and kinetic parameters of Fe/Cu/La catalyst in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis

Effects of nano-particle size on hydrocarbon production rates and distributions for precipitated Fe/Cu/La catalysts in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis were investigated.Nano-structured iron catalyst was prepared by micro-emulsion method.The concept of two superimposed AndersonSchulz-Flory （ASF） distributions has been applied for the representation of the effects of reaction conditions and nano-particles size on kinetics parameters and product distributions.These results reveal that by reducing the particle size of catalyst,the break in ASF distributions was decreased.Also useful different kinetics equations for synthesis of C3 to C9 and C10 to C22 were determined by using α1 and α2 chain growth probabilities.

Kinetics and product distribution studies on ruthenium-promoted cobalt/alumina Fischer-Tropsch synthesis catalyst

Hydrocarbon production rates and distributions on ruthenium promoted alumina supported cobalt Fischer-Tropsch synthesis （FTS） catalyst were studied by the concept of two superimposed Anderson-Schulz-Flory （ASF） distributions.The results indicated that the characterizing growth probabilities α1 and α2 were strongly dependent on reaction conditions.By increasing the H2 /CO partial pressure ratios and reaction temperatures,deviation from normal ASF distribution decreases and the double-α-ASF distribution changes into a straight line.Based on the concept of double-α-ASF distribution,a useful rate equation for the production of hydrocarbons under industrial reaction conditions is obtained.

Effects of the Different Supports on the Activity and Selectivity of Iron-Cobalt Bimetallic Catalyst for Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis

Silica, alumina, and activated carbon supported iron-cobalt catalysts were prepared by incipient wetness impregnation. These catalysts have been characterized by BET, X-ray diffraction （XRD）, and temperature-programmed reduction （TPR）. Activity and selectivity of iron-cobalt supported on different carriers for CO hydrogenation were studied under the conditions of 1.5 MPa, 493 K, 630 h^-1, and H2/CO ratio of 1.6. The results indicate that the activity, C4 olefin/（C4 olefin＋C4 paraffin） ratio, and C5 olefin/（C5 olefin＋C5 paraffin） decrease in the order of Fe-Co/SiO2, Fe-Co/AC1, Fe-Co/Al2O3 and Fe- Co/AC2. The activity of Fe-Co/SiO2 reached a maximum. The results of TPR show that the Fe-Co/SiO2 catalyst is to some extent different. XRD patterns show that the Fe-Co/SiO2 catalyst differs significantly from the others; it has two diffraction peaks. The active spinel phase is correlated with the supports.

Fischer-Tropsch synthesis by nano-structured iron catalyst

Effects of nanoscale iron oxide particles on textural structure,reduction,carburization and catalytic behavior of precipitated iron catalyst in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis（FTS） are investigated.Nanostructured iron catalysts were prepared by microemulsion method in two series.Firstly,Fe2O3 ,CuO and La2O3 nanoparticles were prepared separately and were mixed to attain Fe/Cu/La nanostructured catalyst（sep-nano catalyst）;Secondly nanostructured catalyst was prepared by co-precipitation in a water-in-oil microemulsion method（mix-nano catalyst）.Also,conventional iron catalyst was prepared with common co-precipitation method.Structural characterizations of the catalysts were performed by TEM,XRD,H2 and CO-TPR tests.Particle size of iron oxides for sep-nano and mix-nano catalysts,which were determined by XRD pattern（Scherrer equation） and TEM images was about 20 and 21.6 nm,respectively.Catalyst evaluation was conducted in a fixed-bed stainless steel reactor and compared with conventional iron catalyst.The results revealed that FTS reaction increased while WGS reaction and olefin/paraffin ratio decreased in nanostructured iron catalysts.

Effects of promoters on catalytic performance of Fe-Co/SiO_2 catalyst for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis

2%Fe-10%Co/SiO2 catalysts with different potassium or zirconium loadings were prepared by aqueous incipient wetness impregnation and tested for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis in a flow reactor, using H2/CO = 1.6 （molar ratio） in the feed, under the condition of an overall pressure of 1 MPa, GHSV of 600 h^-1 and temperature of 503 K. The zirconium and potassium promoters remarkably influenced hydrocarbon distribution of the products. CO conversion increased on the catalysts with the increase of zirconium loadings, which indicated that zirconium enhanced the activity of iron-cobalt catalysts. Low potassium loadings also enhanced the activity of the catalysts. However, high potassium loading made CO conversion on the catalysts decrease and weakened the secondary hydrogenations. The catalyst was characterized by BET, XRD and TPR. The catalyst characterization revealed that the Co3O4 phase was presented on the fresh catalyst, whereas the spinel phase of Fe-Co alloy and CoO existed on the used catalyst.

Computational Study on Thermodynamic Properties of Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis Process

Using the highly accurate G4 method, we computed the thermodynamic data of 1287 possible reaction products under a wide range of reaction conditions in the Fischer-Tropcsh synthesis (FTS) process. These accurate thermodynamic data provide basic thermodynamic quantities for the actual chemical engineering process and are useful in analyzing product distribution because FTS demonstrates many features of an equilibrium-controlled system. Our results show that the number of thermodynamically allowed products to increase when lowering temperature, raising pressure, and raising H2/CO ratio. At low temperature, high pressure and high H2/CO ratio, many products are thermodynamically allowed and the selectivity of product has to be controlled by kinetic factors. On the other hand, high selectivity of lighter products can be realized in thermodynamics by raising temperature and lowering pressure. We found that the equilibrium product yield will reach a maximum and remain unchanged when lowering temperature, raising pressure, and raising H2/CO ratio to some limits, implying that optimizing reaction conditions has no effect on equilibrium product yields beyond these limits. The thermodynamic analysis is also useful in designing and evaluating FTS reaction mechanisms. We found that reaction pathways through formaldehyde should be discarded because of its extremely low equilibrium yield. Recently, in the FTS process using metal-oxide-zeolite catalysts for the highly selective production of C2-C4 olefins and aromatic hydrocarbons, there are several guesses on the possible reaction intermediates entering the zeolite channel. Our results show that ketene, methanol, and dimethyl ether are three possible reaction intermediates.

Synthesis and characterization of multiwall carbon nanotubes/alumina nanohybrid-supported cobalt catalyst in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis

Multiwall carbon nanotubes （MWNTs） and alumina are combined to give a new type of nanohybrid for Fisher-Tropsch synthesis （FTS） catalyst support. Alumina nano-particles （10 wt%） were introduced directly on functionalized MWNTs by a modified sol-gel method. Microstructure observations show that alumina particles were homogeneously dispersed on the inside and outside of modified MWNTs surfaces. 15 wt% cobalt loading catalysts were prepared with this nanohybrid and γ-alumina as a reference, using a sol-gel technique and wet impregnation method respectively. These catalysts were characterized by TEM, XRD, N2-adsorption, H2 chemisorption and TPR. The deposition of cobalt nanoparticles synthesized by sol-gel technique on the MWNTs nanohybrid shift the reduction peaks to a low temperature, indicating higher reducibility for uniform cobalt particles. Nanohybrid also aided in high dispersion of metal clusters and high stability and performance of catalyst. The proposed MWNTs nanohybrid-supported cobalt catalysts showed the improved FTS rate （gHc/（gcat.min））, CO conversion （%）, and water gas shift rate （WGS）（gcoz/（gcat.h）） of 0.012, 52, and 30E-3, respectively, as compared to those of 0.007, 25, and 18E-3, respectively, on the γ-alumina-supported cobalt catalysts with the same Co loading.