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Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis: Effect of Potassium on Activity and Selectivity for Oxide and Carbide Fe Catalysts

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Abstract

The effect of potassium on oxides and carbides of iron for Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS) was investigated by pretreating Fe3O4 and K-promoted Fe catalysts with different gases (H2/H2O and CO). A freshly activated sample and catalysts that were recovered from the CSTR before, during and after FT synthesis were characterized ex situ using Mössbauer spectroscopy. Iron carbide is found to be active for both FT and water gas shift (WGS) reactions. After H2/H2O activation, all three catalysts (Fe3O4, low α-Fe, and high α-Fe) exhibit a steady but low FT activity for a period of FT synthesis. However, both FT and WGS activity for Fe3O4 and low α-Fe catalysts were greatly improved after CO activation. In contrast, the high potassium containing catalyst (high α-Fe) did not show any further improvement in activity after CO activation. The difference in FT and WGS activity observed after pretreatment conditions using these catalysts may be associated to the amount of potassium and conversely the iron carbide present in the catalysts.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Applied Energy Research, University of Kentucky, 2540 Research Park Dr, Lexington, KY, 40511, USA

    Muthu Kumaran Gnanamani, Wilson D. Shafer, Dennis E. Sparks & Burtron H. Davis

  2. Department of Physics, Wichita State University, Wichita, KS, 67260, USA

    Hussein H. Hamdeh

Authors
  1. Muthu Kumaran Gnanamani
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  2. Hussein H. Hamdeh
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  3. Wilson D. Shafer
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  4. Dennis E. Sparks
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  5. Burtron H. Davis
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Correspondence to Burtron H. Davis.

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Gnanamani, M.K., Hamdeh, H.H., Shafer, W.D. et al. Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis: Effect of Potassium on Activity and Selectivity for Oxide and Carbide Fe Catalysts. Catal Lett 143, 1123–1131 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10562-013-1110-7

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