Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis over cobalt based catalyst supported on different mesoporous silica

Rational design of tandem catalysts using a core-shell structure approach

A facile and rational approach to synthesize bimetallic heterogeneous tandem catalysts is presented. Using core-shell structures, it is possible to create spatially controlled ensembles of different nanoparticles and investigate coupled chemocatalytic reactions. The CO2 hydrogenation to methane and light olefins was tested, achieving a tandem process successfully.

The Catalytic Performance of Ni-Co/Beta Zeolite Catalysts in Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis

The influence of nickel introduction on the catalytic performance of cobalt micro- and mesoporous Beta zeolite catalysts in Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis was studied. Catalysts containing 3 wt% of nickel and 10 wt% of cobalt were prepared by co-impregnation and sequential impregnation and comprehensively characterized by XRD, XPS, NH3-TPD, TPR-H2 and TEM EDX techniques. Neither the dealumination of Beta zeolite nor the incorporation of Co and Ni affected its structure, as shown by XRD and BET investigations. The presence of nickel results in the decrease in the temperature of the cobalt oxide reduction, evidenced by TPR-H2 and the increase of CO conversion. Among all the tested catalysts, the best catalytic properties in FTS showed that based on microporous dealuminated zeolites with a very high CO conversion, near 100%, and selectivity to liquid products of about 75%. In case of dealuminated samples, the presence of Ni decreased the selectivity to liquid products. All catalysts under study showed high resistance to deactivation during the whole time of synthesis (24 h). The very high stability of nickel-cobalt based Beta catalysts was probably due to the hydrogen spillover from metallic nickel particles to cobalt oxides, which decreased re-oxidation of the active phase, sintering and the creation of the carbon on the catalyst surface. Moreover, the presence of Ni on the surface of cobalt-based Beta catalysts could obstruct the formation of graphitic carbon and, in consequence, delay the deactivation of the catalyst.

Catalytic Technologies for CO Hydrogenation for the Production of Light Hydrocarbons and Middle Distillates

In South Korea, where there are no resources such as natural gas or crude oil, research on alternative fuels has been actively conducted since the 1990s. The research on synthetic oil is subdivided into Coal to Liquid (CTL), Gas to Liquid (GTL), Biomass to Liquid (BTL), etc., and was developed with the focus on catalysts, their preparation, reactor types, and operation technologies according to the product to be obtained. In Fischer–Tropsch synthesis for synthetic oil from syngas, stability, CO conversion rate, and product selectivity of catalysts depends on the design of their components, such as their active material, promoter, and support. Most of the developed catalysts were Fe- and Co-based catalysts and were developed in spherical and cylindrical shapes according to the reactor type. Recently, hybrid catalysts in combination with cracking catalysts were developed to control the distribution of the product. In this review, we survey recent studies related to the design of catalysts for production of light hydrocarbons and middle distillates, including hybrid catalysts, encapsulated core–shell catalysts, catalysts with active materials with well-organized sizes and shapes, and catalysts with shape- and size-controlled supports. Finally, we introduce recent research and development (R&D) trends in the production of light hydrocarbons and middle distillates and in the catalytic processes being applied to the development of catalysts in Korea.

Suppressing Ammonia Re-Emission with the Aid of the Co3O4-NPs@KIT-6 Catalyst in Ammonia-Based Desulfurization

The re-emission of NH₃ and SO₂ caused by the decomposition of (NH₄)₂SO₃ is a crucial concern in ammonia-based desulfurization. In this study, a novel Co₃O₄-NPs@KIT-6 catalyst with a three-dimensional two-helix structure is proposed for converting (NH₄)₂SO₃ into (NH₄)₂SO₄. The oxidation rate of (NH₄)₂SO₃ with the catalyst was 7.5 times that without any catalyst, and this improvement was attributed to appropriately dispersed Co₃O₄ nanoparticles with a size of 4-10 nm that interacted with the KIT-6 support. Therefore, the number of active sites with substitution and hole defects was substantially increased, which is advantageous for high catalytic activities. Consequently, the amount of NH₃ and SO₂ re-emission during (NH₄)₂SO₃ oxidation was reduced by 43.9%, which considerably reduced potential environmental risks. The results of this study serve to advance ammonia desulfurization by improving the desulfurization efficiency, downsizing the oxidation tank, and generating considerable profit from efficient reclaiming of (NH₄)₂SO₄ as a fertilizer.

Cobalt Based Catalysts Supported on Two Kinds of Beta Zeolite for Application in Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis

Co-containing Beta zeolite catalysts prepared by a wet impregnation and two-step postsynthesis method were investigated. The activity of the catalysts was examined in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS), performed at 30 atm and 260 °C. The physicochemical properties of all systems were investigated by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), in situ XRD, temperature programmed desorption of ammonia (NH3-TPD), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), temperature programmed reduction of hydrogen (TPR-H2), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Among the studied catalysts, the best results were obtained for the samples prepared by a two-step postsynthesis method, which achieved CO conversion of about 74%, and selectivity to liquid products of about 86%. The distribution of liquid products for Red-Me-Co20Beta was more diversified than for Red-Mi-Co20Beta. It was observed that significant influence of the zeolite dealumination of mesoporous zeolite on the catalytic performance in FTS. In contrast, for microporous catalysts, the dealumination did not play such a significant role and the relatively high activity is observed for both not dealuminated and dealuminated catalysts. The main liquid products of FTS on both mesoporous and microporous catalysts were C10-C14 isoalkanes and n-alkanes. The iso-/n-alkanes ratio for dealuminated zeolite catalysts was three times higher than that for not dealuminated ones, and was related to the presence of different kind of acidic sites in both zeolite catalysts.

In situ observation of phase changes of a silica-supported cobalt catalyst for the Fischer-Tropsch process by the development of a synchrotron-compatible in situ/operando powder X-ray diffraction cell

In situ characterization of catalysts gives direct insight into the working state of the material. Here, the design and performance characteristics of a universal in situ synchrotron-compatible X-ray diffraction cell capable of operation at high temperature and high pressure, 1373 K, and 35 bar, respectively, are reported. Its performance is demonstrated by characterizing a cobalt-based catalyst used in a prototypical high-pressure catalytic reaction, the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, using X-ray diffraction. Cobalt nanoparticles supported on silica were studied in situ during Fischer-Tropsch catalysis using syngas, H₂ and CO, at 723 K and 20 bar. Post reaction, the Co nanoparticles were carburized at elevated pressure, demonstrating an increased rate of carburization compared with atmospheric studies.

A review of Fischer Tropsch synthesis process, mechanism, surface chemistry and catalyst formulation

For more than half a century, Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) of liquid hydrocarbons was a technology of great potential for the indirect liquefaction of solid or gaseous carbon-based energy sources (Coal-To-Liquid (CTL) and Gas-To-Liquid (GTL)) into liquid transportable fuels. In contrast with the past, nowadays transport fuels are mainly produced from crude oil and there is not considerable diversity in their variety. Due to some limitations in the first generation bio-fuels, the Second-Generation Biofuels (SGB)’ technology was developed to perform the Biomass-To-Liquid (BTL) process. The BTL is awell-known multi-step process to convert the carbonaceous feedstock (biomass) into liquid fuels via FTS technology. This paper presents a brief history of FTS technology used to convert coal into liquid hydrocarbons; the significance of bioenergy and SGB are discussed aswell. The paper covers the characteristics of biomass, which is used as feedstock in the BTL process. Different mechanisms in the FTS process to describe carbon monoxide hydrogenation aswell as surface polymerization reaction are discussed widely in this paper. The discussed mechanisms consist of carbide, CO-insertion and the hydroxycarbene mechanism. The surface chemistry of silica support is discussed. Silanol functional groups in silicon chemistry are explained extensively. The catalyst formulation in the Fischer Tropsch (F-T) process as well as F-T reaction engineering is discussed. In addition, the most common catalysts are introduced and the current reactor technologies in the F-T indirect liquefaction process are considered.

Effect of cobalt supported on meso–macro porous hydrotalcite in Fischer–Tropsch synthesis

Hydrotalcite based cobalt catalysts were prepared by a slurry precipitation method, followed by a slurry impregnation method.

Synthesis of LaNiO3 perovskite using an EDTA-cellulose method and comparison with the conventional Pechini method: application to steam CO2 reforming of methane

LaNiO₃ type perovskite was synthesized by two different methods, and characterized by various techniques such as in situ and ex situ XRD, TPR, N₂ physisorption, CO chemisorption, TGA, FT-IR, XPS, TPH, TPSR and TEM-EDS.

Fischer-Tropsch reaction on a thermally conductive and reusable silicon carbide support

The Fischer-Tropsch (FT) process, in which synthesis gas (syngas) derived from coal, natural gas, and biomass is converted into synthetic liquid fuels and chemicals, is a strongly exothermic reaction, and thus, a large amount of heat is generated during the reaction that could severely modify the overall selectivity of the process. In this Review, we report the advantages that can be offered by different thermally conductive supports, that is, carbon nanomaterials and silicon carbide, pure or doped with different promoters, for the development of more active and selective FT catalysts. This Review follows a discussion regarding the clear trend in the advantages and drawbacks of these systems in terms of energy efficiency and catalytic performance for this most-demanded catalytic process. It is demonstrated that the use of a support with an appropriate pore size and thermal conductivity is an effective strategy to tune and improve the activity of the catalyst and to improve product selectivity in the FT process. The active phase and the recovery of the support, which also represents a main concern in terms of the large amount of FT catalyst used and the cost of the active cobalt phase, is also discussed within the framework of this Review. It is expected that a thermally conductive support such as β-SiC will not only improve the development of the FT process, but that it will also be part of a new support for different catalytic processes for which high catalytic performance and selectivity are strongly needed.