THE PROMOTER EFFECT OF ALKALI METAL TO SUPPORTED IRON CATALYST IN CARBON MONOXIDE HYDROGENATION, THE INFLUENCE OF ALKALI ON CARBON DEPOSITIONS

The promoter effect of alkali metals on CO hydrogenation was studied on a series of silica supported iron catalysts. Mossbauer spectra of the catalysts show that iron is well dispersed on the silica support. The decrease in chemisorption of carbon monoxide on addition of promoters reveals that alkali covers part of the iron metal surface. The production of olefins, carbon dioxide and long chain hydrocarbons increases with decreasing ionization potentials of the alkali metals added. Hydrogenative decarbidation of catalysts after CO/H₂ reaction show that the hydrogenation of the carbon depositions on iron catalysts can be well explained by a series reaction model. The relative reactivity of carbon depositions on well dispersed iron catalysts are strongly affected under the influences of alkali. Addition of alkali metals to iron catalyst may depress the hydrogenation ability of the catalysts.