Application of in situ Mössbauer spectroscopy to investigate the effect of precipitating agents on precipitated iron Fischer–Tropsch catalysts

The type of the precipitating agent used during the preparation of a precipitated iron-based Fischer–Tropsch (FT) catalyst affects the catalyst pore structure, crystallite size, phase composition and catalytic behavior. Catalysts prepared by using precipitating agents, that contain carbonate ions, have pores that are larger than those of catalysts prepared using precipitating agents that contain hydroxides. Precipitation at pH>8, using aqueous NH₃ solution as a precipitating agent, results in the formation of large crystallites of FeOOH, which are not observed when Na₂CO₃ and K₂CO₃ are used. Higher % CO conversion during FT synthesis was observed with the catalyst prepared by using aqueous NH₃ solution. However, this is correlated with a low selectivity for the formation of olefins. For all catalysts, in situ Mössbauer spectra recorded during FT synthesis show that the % CO conversion increases with the formation of iron carbides, viz. ′-Fe_2.2C and χ-Fe_2.5C.     

The application of Mössbauer emission spectroscopy to industrial cobalt based Fischer–Tropsch catalysts

⁵⁷Co-Mössbauer emission spectroscopy (MES) has been used to study the oxidation of cobalt as a deactivation mechanism of high loading cobalt based Fischer–Tropsch catalysts for the gas-to-liquids process. It was reported previously [Catal. Today 58 (2000) 321; Proceedings of the International Symposium on the Industrial Applications of the Mössbauer Effect, 13–18 August, 2000, Virginia Beach, VA] that oxidation was observed at atmospheric pressure under conditions that were in contradiction with the bulk cobalt phase thermodynamics. A high-pressure MES cell was designed and constructed, which created the opportunity to study the oxidation of cobalt based Fischer–Tropsch catalysts under realistic synthesis conditions. The cobalt catalyst preparation procedure was investigated by means of ⁵⁷Fe-Mössbauer absorption spectroscopy, applying ⁵⁷Fe as a probe atom. Initial results indicate, although not yet conclusive, that a ⁵⁷Co-MES catalyst can be prepared from the industrial prepared standard Co catalyst by an additional simple incipient wetness impregnation procedure.     

CO and CO2 hydrogenation study on supported cobalt Fischer–Tropsch synthesis catalysts

The conversion of CO/H₂, CO₂/H₂ and (CO+CO₂)/H₂ mixtures using cobalt catalysts under typical Fischer–Tropsch synthesis conditions has been carried out. The results show that in the presence of CO, CO₂ hydrogenation is slow. For the cases of only CO or only CO₂ hydrogenation, similar catalytic activities were obtained but the selectivities were very different. For CO hydrogenation, normal Fischer–Tropsch synthesis product distributions were observed with an of about 0.80; in contrast, the CO₂ hydrogenation products contained about 70% or more of methane. Thus, CO₂ and CO hydrogenation appears to follow different reaction pathways. The catalyst deactivates more rapidly for the conversion of CO than for CO₂ even though the H₂O/H₂ ratio is at least two times larger for the conversion of CO₂. Since the catalyst ages more slowly in the presence of the higher H₂O/H₂ conditions, it is concluded that water alone does not account for the deactivation and that there is a deactivation pathway that involves the assistance of CO.     

Oxidation of cobalt based Fischer–Tropsch catalysts as a deactivation mechanism

The oxidation of supported cobalt based slurry bed Fischer–Tropsch catalysts by means of water was studied. Water is one of the Fischer–Tropsch reaction products and can probably cause oxidation and deactivation of a reduced cobalt catalyst. Model experiments using Mössbauer emission spectroscopy and thermogravimetry as well as realistic Fischer–Tropsch synthesis runs were performed. It was demonstrated that Mössbauer emission spectroscopy can successfully be applied to the investigation of high cobalt loading Fischer–Tropsch catalysts. Strong indications were found that oxidation of reduced cobalt catalysts occurs under realistic Fischer–Tropsch conditions. Mössbauer emission spectroscopy and thermogravimetry results showed that the oxidation depends on the P_H2/P_H2O ratio, and that oxidation proceeds to less than complete extents under certain conditions. The formation of both reducible and less reducible cobalt oxide species was observed, and the relative ratio between these species depends on the severity of the oxidation conditions.     

Performance and characterization of Ru/Al2O3 and Ru/SiO2 catalysts modified with Mn for Fischer–Tropsch synthesis

Mn effect and characterization on γ-Al₂O₃-, -Al₂O₃- and SiO₂-supported Ru catalysts were investigated for Fischer–Tropsch synthesis under pressurized conditions. In the slurry phase Fischer–Tropsch reaction, γ-Al₂O₃ catalysts showed higher performance on CO conversion and C₅⁺ selectivity than -Al₂O₃ and SiO₂ catalysts. Moreover, Ru/Mn/γ-Al₂O₃ exhibited high resistance to catalyst deactivation and other catalysts were deactivated during the reaction. From characterization results on XRD, TPR, TEM, XPS and pore distribution, Ru particles were clearly observed over the catalysts, and γ-Al₂O₃ catalysts showed a moderate pore and particle size such as 8 nm, where -Al₂O₃ and SiO₂ showed highly dispersed ruthenium particles. The addition of Mn to γ-Al₂O₃ enhanced the removal of chloride from RuCl₃, which can lead to the formation of metallic Ru with moderate particle size, which would be an active site for Fischer–Tropsch reaction. Concomitantly, manganese chloride is formed. These schemes can be assigned to the stable nature of Ru/Mn/γ-Al₂O₃ catalyst.     

沉淀剂对Cu-Zn-Al-Mg甲醇合成催化剂性能的影响

采用二步共沉淀法,选取不同沉淀剂Na2 CO3、K2 CO3和NaHCO3制备Cu-Zn-Al-Mg合成甲醇催化剂,考察不同沉淀剂对催化剂性能的影响.采用N2低温吸附、XRD、H2-TPR和TG-DTG等对样品进行分析,结果表明,K2 CO3为沉淀剂时,催化剂前驱体中锌铝水滑石物相多且结晶好,Na2 CO3为沉淀剂时,...     

Structural changes and activation treatment in a Co/SiO2 catalyst for Fischer–Tropsch synthesis

We examined the effect of the activation process on the structural and morphological characteristics of a cobalt-based catalyst for Fischer–Tropsch synthesis. A 10 wt.% Co/SiO₂ catalyst prepared by wet impregnation was separately activated under H₂, CO or a H₂/CO mixture. The structural changes during activation from 298 to 773 K were studied by in situ X-ray diffraction. Catalysts were examined by SEM, TEM, XPS and in situ DRIFT-MS. The H₂/CO activation produced redispersion of cobalt particles and simultaneous carbon nanostructures formation. The catalyst showed the highest performance in the Fischer–Tropsch synthesis after the H₂/CO activation.     

K改性对Cu-Co低碳醇催化剂性能的影响

通过浸渍法制备不同K2CO3含量的K-CuCoAl催化剂,考察K含量对催化剂织构及低碳醇合成性能的影响。结果表明,K加入能中和催化剂表面的酸性;同时使催化剂对CO的线式吸附能力呈先升后降的趋势,相对应的产物中醇选择性也呈先升后降的趋势;K的负载会降低催化剂对CO的加氢反应活性。K含量对总醇收率影响呈火山型变化规律,最佳负载质量分数为0.9%。     

Optimization of the pretreatment procedure in the design of cobalt silica supported Fischer–Tropsch catalysts

The effect of cobalt precursor, catalyst pretreatment and promotion with ruthenium and rhenium on the formation of cobalt metal nanoparticles and catalytic performance of supported Fischer–Tropsch (FT) catalysts was studied using a combination of techniques (DSC–TGA, UV–vis spectroscopy, XPS, XRD, EXAFS–XANES, in situ magnetization measurements, propene chemisorption and catalytic measurements). The cobalt promoted and unpromoted catalysts were prepared by aqueous co-impregnation using cobalt nitrate or acetate, ruthenium nitrosyl nitrate or perrhenic acid. In both unpromoted and Ru and Re-promoted cobalt catalysts after impregnation and drying, cobalt is present mainly in octahedrally coordinated complexes. The repartition of cobalt species between Co₃O₄ and cobalt silicate depends essentially on the exothermicity of precursor decomposition. Cobalt nitrate precursor, with an endothermic decomposition, favors Co₃O₄ crystallites. Lower temperature of cobalt nitrate decomposition and catalyst calcination generally leads to higher dispersion of supported cobalt oxide. Cobalt acetate precursor, with an exothermic decomposition, favors cobalt silicate. By optimizing the conditions of cobalt acetate decomposition, the fraction of cobalt silicate can be decreased favoring a more reducible Co₃O₄ phase. For the catalysts prepared from cobalt nitrate, promotion with ruthenium increases the cobalt dispersion, while maintaining high reducibility. For the catalyst prepared via low temperature decomposition of cobalt acetate, addition of ruthenium increases the fraction of Co₃O₄ crystalline phase and decreases the concentration of barely reducible cobalt silicate. The Fischer–Tropsch reaction rates over unpromoted and promoted cobalt catalysts were found to be primarily a function of the number of cobalt metal sites, which are generated by the reduction of Co₃O₄ crystallites.     

Fischer–Tropsch synthesis on monolithic catalysts of different materials

Monolithic structures made of cordierite, γ-Al₂O₃ and steel have been prepared as catalysts and tested for Fischer–Tropsch activity. The monoliths made of cordierite and steel were washcoated with a 20 wt.% Co–1 wt.% Re/γ-Al₂O₃ Fischer–Tropsch catalyst whereas the γ-Al₂O₃ monoliths were made by direct impregnation with an aqueous solution of the Co and Re salts resulting in a loading of 12 wt.% Co and 0.5 wt.% Re. The activity and selectivity of the different monoliths were compared with the corresponding powder catalysts.

Higher washcoat loadings resulted in decreased C₅₊ selectivity and olefin/paraffin ratios due to increased transport limitations. The impregnated γ-Al₂O₃ monoliths also showed similar C₅₊ selectivities as powder catalysts of small particle size (38–53 μm). Lower activities were observed with the steel monoliths probably due to experimental problems.     

Fischer–Tropsch synthesis on monolithic catalysts with oil circulation

Monolithic catalysts made of cordierite and γ-Al₂O₃ have been prepared and tested for the Fischer–Tropsch (FT) synthesis. When operated without oil circulation, washcoated cordierite monoliths have previously been shown to be as active and selective as the corresponding powder catalyst provided that the monoliths have low washcoat loadings. Two-phase operation, i.e. with oil/product circulation during reaction, resulted in improved heat removal and temperature control, in lower apparent activity and faster deactivation, but the C₅₊ selectivity was equal to or even better than without oil circulation. The lower apparent activities obtained with oil circulation seem to be a combination of catalyst deactivation and flow-related problems in the present experimental set-up.     

Fischer–Tropsch synthesis over Co–SiO2 catalysts prepared by the sol–gel method

Fischer–Tropsch synthesis was carried out in slurry phase over uniformly dispersed Co–SiO₂ catalysts prepared by the sol–gel method. When 0.01–1 wt.% of noble metals were added to the Co–SiO₂ catalysts, a high and stable catalytic activity was obtained over 60 h of the reaction at 503 K and 1 MPa. The addition of noble metals increased the reducibility of surface Co on the catalysts, without changing the particle size of Co metal significantly. High dispersion of metallic Co species stabilized on SiO₂ was responsible for stable activity. The uniform pore size of the catalysts was enlarged by varying the preparation conditions and by adding organic compounds such as N,N-dimethylformamide and formamide. Increased pore size resulted in decrease in CO conversion and selectivity for CO₂, a byproduct, and an increase in the olefin/paraffin ratio of the products. By modifying the surface of wide pore silica with Co–SiO₂ prepared by the sol–gel method, a bimodal pore structured catalyst was prepared. The bimodal catalyst showed high catalytic performance with reducing the amount of the expensive sol–gel Co–SiO₂.     

The selective catalytic oxidation of NH3 over Fe-ZSM-5

The abatement of NH₃ from waste streams has become an important environmental issue. Selective catalytic oxidation (SCO) of NH₃ to N₂ has emerged as a potential technology for taking care of NH₃ slips and NH₃ in waste streams. In this work, we describe the catalytic activity of Fe-zeolite catalysts prepared by incipient wetness technique, ion exchange and hydrothermal synthesis in the SCO of NH₃ to N₂ using a fixed bed flow reactor. Selective catalytic oxidation was carried out at 573–723 K and 10⁵ Pa with gas hourly space velocities (GHSV) between 24 000 and 240 000 h⁻¹. Results obtained showed that Fe-ZSM-5 catalysts prepared by incipient wetness technique were active for NH₃ conversion (77–100%) and selectivity to N₂ (65–100%). Fe-ASA and Fe-Beta showed good catalytic activity and selectivity, but their activity and selectivity were less than that of Fe-ZSM-5. The effects of water vapour, Fe loading, and activation method on the performance of these catalysts was also investigated.     

Hydrogen production by catalytic gasification of cellulose in supercritical water

Cellulose, one of the important components of biomass, was gasified in supercritical water to produce hydrogen-rich gas in an autoclave which was operated batch-wise under high-pressure. K₂CO₃ and Ca(OH)₂ were selected as the catalysts (or promoters). The temperature was kept between 450°C and 500°C while pressure was maintained at 24–26 MPa. The reaction time was 20 min. Experimental results showed that the two catalysts had good catalytic effect and optimum amounts were observed for each catalyst. When 0.2 g K₂CO₃ was added, the hydrogen yield could reach 9.456 molkg^-1 which was two times of the H₂ amount produced without catalyst. When 1.6 g Ca(OH)₂ was added, the H₂ yield was 8.265 molkg^-1 which is lower than that obtained using K₂CO₃ as catalyst but is still 1.7 times that achieved without catalyst. Comparing with the results obtained using K₂CO₃ or Ca(OH)₂ alone, the use of a combination of K₂CO₃ and Ca(OH)₂ could increase the H₂ yield by up to 2.5 times that without catalyst and 25% and 45% more than that obtained using K₂CO₃ and Ca(OH)₂ alone, respectively. It was found that methane was the dominant product at relatively low temperature. When the temperature was increased, the methane reacts with water and is converted to hydrogen and carbon dioxide.     

固体碱K_2CO_3/Al-Ni及K_2CO_3/Al-Ni-O催化制备生物柴油

分别采用合成的铝镍类水滑石和其焙烧后复合氧化物为载体,负载K_2CO_3制得负载型固体碱催化剂,并用于催化食用菜籽油制生物柴油的反应。考察甲醇与菜籽油物质的量比、反应时间和反应温度对催化性能的影响,结果表明,在甲醇与菜籽油物质的量比10∶1、反应温度60℃、反应时间6 h和催化剂用量为油质量的5%条件下,生物柴油产率最高,为82.4%,且催化剂可重复使用,具有稳定的催化作用。     

Fischer–Tropsch synthesis. Conversion of alcohols over iron oxide and iron carbide catalysts

Both iron oxide (Fe₂O₃) and iron carbide catalysts are active for the dehydration of tertiary alcohols; the oxide catalyst is not reduced nor is the bulk carbide oxidized by the steam generated during the dehydration reaction. Secondary alcohols are selectively converted to ketones plus hydrogen by both the iron oxide and carbide catalyst. Fe₂O₃ is reduced to Fe₃O₄ during the conversion of secondary alcohols. Both iron carbide and oxide catalysts dehydrogenate a primary alcohol (C_n) to an aldehyde which undergoes a secondary ketonization reaction to produce a symmetrical ketone with 2n−1 carbons. These results plus those of our earlier ¹⁴C-tracer studies suggest that dehydration of alcohols to produce olefins makes a minor, if any, contribution during Fischer–Tropsch synthesis with an iron catalyst at low and intermediate pressure conditions.     

Silica supported cobalt Fischer–Tropsch catalysts: effect of pore diameter of support

The influence of the effect of average pore diameter of silica support on the physical and chemical properties of supported cobalt catalysts and their performance in the Fischer–Tropsch synthesis was investigated. Silicas with different mean pore diameter (20, 40, 60, 100 and 150 Å) were impregnated with cobalt nitrate to produce catalysts containing 20 wt.% cobalt. The metal crystallite size and degree of reduction was found to increase with increasing pore diameter of the support for supports with an average pore diameter larger or equal to 40 Å, and hence the dispersion decreased. In impregnated catalysts, the metal crystallites seems to appear in clusters on the support. With increasing average pore diameter, the size of these clusters increases. In the Fischer–Tropsch synthesis, the 100 Å supported catalyst proved to be the most active and selective catalyst for hydrocarbon formation. The C₅₊ and methane selectivity passed through a maximum and minimum at the 100 Å supported catalyst, respectively, which can be explained quantitatively using the reactant transport model proposed by Iglesia et al.     

Fe–Co based metal/spinel to produce light olefins from syngas

New metal/oxide (Co–Fe) catalysts (with no reduction or thermal pre-treatment) are efficient to produce light hydrocarbons with a low selectivity in CO₂ by the Fischer–Tropsch synthesis. The low selectivity in CO₂ is due to the occurrence of the CO₂/H₂ reaction. These materials are stable under reaction conditions, and only few carbides are formed during the Fischer–Tropsch reaction. X-ray analyses indicate that the most degraded phase is the (Co–Fe) alloy phase in CO/H₂ reaction and the spinel phase in the CO₂/H₂ reaction. It was demonstrated that these composites do not behave as the simple sum of a spinel phase and a (Co–Fe) alloy but have their own properties.     

Fischer–Tropsch synthesis over Re-promoted Co supported on Al2O3, SiO2 and TiO2: Effect of water

The activity and selectivity of rhenium promoted cobalt Fischer–Tropsch catalysts supported on Al₂O₃, TiO₂ and SiO₂ have been studied in a fixed-bed reactor at 483 K and 20 bar. Exposure of the catalysts to water added to the feed deactivates the Al₂O₃ supported catalyst, while the activity of the TiO₂ and SiO₂ supported catalysts increased. However, at high concentrations of water both the SiO₂ and TiO₂ supported catalyst deactivated. Common for all catalysts was an increase in C₅₊ selectivity and a decrease in the CH₄ selectivity by increasing the water partial pressure. The catalysts have been characterized by scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM), BET, H₂ chemisorption and X-ray diffraction (XRD).     

Co/Al_2O_3催化剂制备及其合成重质烃的反应性能

以不同孔道结构Al_2O_3作载体,甲醇、乙醇和柠檬酸作分散剂,通过等体积浸渍法制备系列Co/Al_2O_3费托合成催化剂。采用XRD、TG-DSC和H2-TPR等考察制备方法对催化剂结构的影响,并在固定床反应器中对催化剂进行性能评价。结果表明,采用具有适宜孔道结构Al_2O_3作载体才能获得综合性能较好的催化剂,3种分散剂的加入,促进了钴物种在载体上的分散,增强了钴与载体间的相互作用,改善了催化剂费托合成反应活性,显著提高了重质烃时空收率。