Abstract
A catalyst support with both small pores and large pores, as well as a distinct bimodal pore structure, has excellent advantages in industrial solid-catalysis reaction because the large pores provide pathways for rapid molecular transportation and the small pores serve a large area of active surface. A simple preparation method of bimodal supports was developed by introducing SiO2 or ZrO2 sol into large pores of SiO2 gel pellet directly. The pores of the obtained bimodal supports distributed distinctly as two kinds of main pores. The obtained bimodal support loaded with cobalt was applied in slurry-phase Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS). The bimodal catalyst presented the best reaction performance in slurry-phase FTS as higher reaction rate and lower methane selectivities, because the spatial promotional effect of bimodal structure and chemical effect of the porous zirconia were available inside the large pores of original silica gel.
