Modified catalyst supports

Abstract

A modified catalyst support exhibiting attrition resistance and/or deaggregation resistance is provided. A catalyst composition including the modified catalyst support is also provided. A process to produce a modified catalyst support including treatment of a support slurry with a solution of monosilicic acid is provided. A process to use a catalyst including the modified catalyst support in a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis is provided.

1 . A method of treating a catalyst support, comprising the step of:
 contacting a support material with an attrition-suppressing composition comprising monosilicic acid thereby to provide a treated catalyst support.   
   
   
       2 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the treated catalyst support has a surface concentration of between about 0.1 and about 10.60 Si atoms/nm 2 . 
   
   
       3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the attrition-suppressing composition comprises between about 0.02% and about 6.9% by weight of Si. 
   
   
       4 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the attrition-suppressing composition comprises between about 0.2% and about 6.9% by weight of Si. 
   
   
       5 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the support material is preformed. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the attrition-suppressing composition is prepared by contacting the monosilicic acid with water under acidic conditions. 
   
   
       7 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the monosilicic acid is prepared by contacting tetraethoxysilane with water under acidic conditions. 
   
   
       8 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the monosilicic acid is the predominant silicic acid species in the attrition-suppressing composition. 
   
   
       9 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the attrition-suppressing composition is prepared by contacting a silicate with water under acidic conditions. 
   
   
       10 . The method according to  claim 9  wherein the silicate is sodium orthosilicate or sodium metasilicate and the pH ranges from about 1.5 to about 3.5 at a temperature ranging from about 0° C. to about 5° C. 
   
   
       11 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the attrition-suppressing composition is added to the catalyst support at a temperature ranging from about 0° C. to about 95° C. 
   
   
       12 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the attrition-suppressing composition is added to the catalyst support at a temperature ranging from about 0° C. to about 10° C. 
   
   
       13 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the attrition-suppressing composition comprises a polysilicic acid species wherein concentration of monosilicic acid is greater than the concentration of trisilicic acid and higher polymers of silicic acid.