Kinetics of the water-gas shift reaction in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis over a nano-structured iron catalyst

Based on formate and direct oxidation mechanisms, three Langmuir-Hinshelwood-Hougen-Watson (LHHW) kinetic models of the water-gas-shift (WGS) reaction over a nano-structured iron catalyst under Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) reaction conditions were derived and compared with those over the conventional catalyst. The conventional and nanostructured Fe/Cu/La/Si catalysts were prepared by co-precipitation of Fe and Cu nitrates in aqueous media and water-oil micro-emulsion, respectively. The WGS kinetic data were measured by experiments over a wide range of reaction conditions and comparisons were also made for various rate equations. WGS rate expressions based on the formate mechanism with the assumption that the formation of formate is rate determining step were found to be the best.