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The Effect of Water on the Activity and Selectivity for Carbon Nanofiber Supported Cobalt Fischer–Tropsch Catalysts

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Abstract

The effect of water on the activity and selectivity for a series of carbon nanofiber supported Fischer–Tropsch cobalt catalysts has been investigated. Fischer–Tropsch synthesis was carried out in a fixed bed reactor at industrially relevant conditions (483 K, 20 bar, H2/CO = 2.1). Three catalysts were prepared either by incipient wetness impregnation or wet impregnation and consisted of 12 or 20 wt% cobalt deposited on carbon nanofibers of the platelet and fishbone structures. Addition of 20 and 33 mol% water to the reactor inlet increased the reaction rates, but also the deactivation rates of all the catalysts. As a result of the high water concentrations, the catalysts were irreversibly deactivated. A positive correlation between the amount of water in the reactor and the selectivity to long-chain hydrocarbons (C5+) was found.

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Acknowledgments

The financial support from Statoil ASA and the Norwegian Research Council through the KOSK programme is greatly acknowledged.

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Author notes

  1. Øyvind Borg

    Present address: Statoil RDI, Postuttak, 7005, Trondheim, Norway

  2. Zhixin Yu

    Present address: University of Stavanger, 4036, Stavanger, Norway

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), 7491, Trondheim, Norway

    Øyvind Borg, Zhixin Yu, De Chen, Edd Anders Blekkan, Erling Rytter & Anders Holmen

  2. Statoil RDI, Postuttak, 7005, Trondheim, Norway

    Zhixin Yu & Erling Rytter

Authors
  1. Øyvind Borg
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  2. Zhixin Yu
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  3. De Chen
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  4. Edd Anders Blekkan
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  5. Erling Rytter
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  6. Anders Holmen
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Correspondence to Anders Holmen.

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Borg, Ø., Yu, Z., Chen, D. et al. The Effect of Water on the Activity and Selectivity for Carbon Nanofiber Supported Cobalt Fischer–Tropsch Catalysts. Top Catal 57, 491–499 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11244-013-0205-0

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