Composite pelletized catalyst for higher one-pass conversion and productivity in Fischer-Tropsch process

Composite pelletized catalysts for higher one-pass conversion and productivity in the Fischer-Tropsch process are reported. The introduction of aluminum metal powder as a thermal conductor leads to the formation of a new family of composite pelletized catalysts, very different from reference systems. In particular, these catalysts retain high activity and C5+ selectivity at increasing gas-hour space velocities of up to 5,000 h(-1). The productivity of these composite catalysts increases almost fourfold for fivefold GHSV increase. Composite catalysts with different types of active cobalt (conventional, introduced by impregnation, or skeletal) show similar values of one-pass conversion and productivity but give different fractional and group composition of liquid hydrocarbon products. Testing of these highly productive catalysts in reactors with different aspect ratios showed that high productivity and one-pass conversion can be achieved in industrial-size units, where feasible liquid yield of up to 140 barrels per million standard cubic feet (MMSCF) of natural gas can be reached.