Catalyst for low temperature slurry bed fischer-tropsch synthesis

Abstract

A method for controllably producing a hematite-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst by combining an iron nitrate solution with a precipitating agent solution at a precipitating temperature and over a precipitation time to form a precipitate comprising iron phases; holding the precipitate from at a hold temperature for a hold time to provide a hematite containing precipitate; and washing the hematite containing precipitate via contact with a wash solution and filtering, to provide a washed hematite containing catalyst. The method may further comprise promoting the washed hematite containing catalyst with a chemical promoter; spray drying the promoted hematite containing catalyst; and calcining the spray dried hematite containing catalyst to provide a calcined hematite-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A hematite-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst, comprising iron, copper and potassium in a weight ratio of 100 Fe:1-10 Cu:1-10 K 2 O:0-35 SiO 2 , wherein the iron in the catalyst comprises from about 1% weight percent to about 70 weight percent hematite. 
     
     
         2 . The hematite-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst of  claim 1 , wherein the average hematite crystallite size is in the range of from about 1 to about 70 nm. 
     
     
         3 . The hematite-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst of  claim 1 , wherein the mean hematite crystallite size is in the range of from about 1 to about 50 nm. 
     
     
         4 . The hematite-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst of  claim 1 , wherein the mean hematite crystallite size is in the range of from about 1 to about 35 nm. 
     
     
         5 . The hematite-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst of  claim 1  having a TPR of less than or equal to about 245° C. 
     
     
         6 . The hematite-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst of  claim 1  having a TPR of less than or equal to about 240° C. 
     
     
         7 . The hematite-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst of  claim 1  having a TPR of less than or equal to about 235° C. 
     
     
         8 . The hematite-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst of  claim 1  having a TPR of less than or equal to about 230° C. 
     
     
         9 . The hematite-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst of  claim 1  having a TPR of less than or equal to about 225° C. 
     
     
         10 . The hematite-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst of  claim 1  having a TPR of less than or equal to about 220° C. 
     
     
         11 . The hematite-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst of  claim 1  having a TPR of less than or equal to about 215° C. 
     
     
         12 . The hematite-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst of  claim 1  having a TPR of less than or equal to about 210° C. 
     
     
         13 . The hematite-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst of  claim 1  having a TPR of less than or equal to about 205° C. 
     
     
         14 . The hematite-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst of  claim 1  having a TPR of less than or equal to about 200° C. 
     
     
         15 . The catalyst of  claim 1  comprising a particulate structure with a particle size distribution in the range of from about 10 μm to about 100 μm. 
     
     
         16 . The catalyst of  claim 1  comprising an uncalcined BET surface area in the range of from about 50 m 2 /g to about 450 m 2 /g. 
     
     
         17 . The catalyst of  claim 1  comprising an uncalcined mean pore diameter in the range of from about 25 Å to about 120 Å. 
     
     
         18 . The catalyst of  claim 1  comprising an uncalcined mean pore volume in the range of from about 0.1 cc/g to about 0.8 cc/g. 
     
     
         19 . The catalyst of  claim 1  exhibiting an improvement in physical attrition index with increasing hematite content from about 1 weight percent to about 70 weight percent. 
     
     
         20 . A supported hematite-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst produced by a method comprising
 (a) combining an iron nitrate solution with a precipitating agent solution at a precipitating temperature and over a precipitation time to form a precipitate comprising iron phases, wherein the precipitating temperature is less than or equal to 95° C.; wherein the iron nitrate, the precipitating agent solution, or both, comprise a refractory material;   (b) holding the precipitate from (a) at a hold temperature of greater than or equal to 85° C. for a hold time of greater than or equal to 5 minutes to provide a hematite containing precipitate; and   (c) washing the hematite containing precipitate from (b) via contact with a wash solution and filtering, to provide a washed hematite containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst containing less than 0.3 weight percent sodium.