Production of Hydrocarbons in Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis with Cobalt-based Catalyst: Investigations of Primary Kerosene Yield and Carbon Mass Balance

Abstract

The Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) of syngas (34 vol% H₂, 16 vol% CO, and 50 vol% N₂) was carried out using cobalt-based catalysts in order to produce hydrocarbons (HCs) equivalent to kerosene, which is used as an alternative aviation fuel. The FTS had been conducted for a duration of 5 h in a downdraft continuous-flow-type fixed-bed reactor under a temperature of 230 °C and a pressure of 3.0 MPa. The effects of space velocity (W/F) and the chelator on the FTS were studied by focusing on primary kerosene yield and the carbon mass balance. In HCs with carbon numbers more than 6, the selectivity of CO to the HCs with carbon numbers of 11-14 equivalent to kerosene was found to be the second highest, the highest being its selectivity to HCs with carbon numbers of 6-10 equivalent to gasoline. The amount of primary kerosene produced was maximum under the W/F of 9 g h/mol. The addition of a chelator to a cobalt-based catalyst decreased the selectivity to CO₂. In the FTS with cobalt-based catalysts with the chelator of CyDTA, the selectivity of CO to the HCs with carbon numbers of 11-14 was found to be the highest.