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Technical Report No.248-45

The Synthesis Of Hydrocarbons And Chemicals From CO And H2

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Cover Page

Attached Memo

Summary

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page
Introduction 8
SECTION I
The Fischer-Tropsch Process 9
Contents 9
 
SECTION I (a)
Present Commercial Application 10
1.  General Status of Process 10
2.  Location and Prod. of Commercial Plants in Ger. 11
3.  Catalyst 15
4.  Preparation of Cobalt Catalyst 17
5.  Prod. Data from Commercial Large Scale Operation 18
6. Operating Conditions 22
7.  Medium Pressure Fischer-Tropsch Units 23
     (a) General 23
     (b) Development of 3-Stage Operation 23
8.  Kreislauf Operation 25
9.  Cost of New FT plants 28
10. Products from Fischer-Tropsch Plants 28
     (a) "Gasol-Fluessiggas" 28
     (b) FT Gasoline 29
     (c) Diesel oil 29
     (d) Wax 30
11. Adsorption of Hydrocarbons on Activated Carbon 31
12. List of References 34
 
SECTION I (b)
Development Work - Fischer-Tropsch Process 35
General Introduction 35
1. Fe Catalysts - General 35
2.  Lurgi Gesellschaft fuer Waermetechnik 37
3.  K.W.I. (Kaiser Wilhelm Institut, Muelheim) 40
4.  Rheinpressen 43
5.  Ruhrchemie 45
6.  Brabag 48
I.G. Farbenindustrie A.G.

48

7.  I.G. Farben Leuna 49
8.  I.G. Farben Ludwigshafen 52
9.  Comparative Tests with Fe Catalysts 53
10. "Oilkreirslauf Process - I.G. Farben 57
11. "Schaumfahrweise" Process - I.G. Farben 58
     (a) Catalyst 60
     (b) Products 61
12. "Static Liquid Phase" Rheinpreussen 62
     (a) Ruhrchemie 63
13. New Reactor Design - General 64
     (a) "Taschenrehrofen" 64
     (b) Lurgi M.P. Oven 65
     (c) I.G. Farben Synol Reactor 66
     (d) Rheinpreussen Liquid Phase Reactor 67
14. List of References 68
 
SECTION I (c)
1.  General Introduction 70
2.  Operating Conditions 70
3.  References 71
 
SECTION II
The Synol Process 72
Contents 72
1.  General Introduction 72
2.  Catalysts 73
     (a) Preparation 74
     (b) Reduction 74
3.  Synthesis - Operating Conditions 76
     (a) CO2 Formation 76
     (b) Temperature 76
     (c) Pressure 78
     (d) Recycle 78
4.  Equipment 79
5.  Products from Synol Operation 80
     (a) Alcohols 80
     (b) Olefines 81
     (c) Esters 81
     (d) Aldehydes and Ketones 82
6.  Uses for Synol Products 84
7.  Separation of Products 84
     (a) Pretreatment 84
     (b) Fractionation 85
     (c) Boric Process 86
     (d) Separation by Silicagel Adsorption 88
     (e) Separation of Azeotropic Distillation 89
     (f) Separation by Extraction with Aqueous Methanol 90
     (g) High Boiling Products 90
8.  Conclusion 91
9. List of References 91
 
SECTION III
Synthesis of High Melting Point Waxes 93
Summary 93
Content 93
1.  General Introduction 94
2.  Catalyst 94
3.  Operating Conditions 94
4.  The Products 95
5.  References 95
 
SECTION IV
Iso-Synthesis 96
Summary 96
Content 96
1.  General Introduction 97
2.  Chemistry of Synthesis 97
3.  The Catalysts 98
     (a) Thorium Catalyst 98
     (b) Mixed Catalyst 98
4.  Operating Conditions 99
     (a) Influence of Temperatures 100
     (b) Influence of Pressure 100
5.  Products 101
6. Conclusions 102
7.  List of References 102
 
SECTION V
Isobutanol Synthesis 103
Summary 103
1.  Isobutanol Synthesis 103
2.  Details 104
3.  List of References 107
 
SECTION VI
Low pressure Methanol Synthesis 109
Summary 109
1.  Low Pressure Methanol Synthesis 109
2.  Details 110
     TABLE I 111
3.  List of References 113
 
SECTION VII
The Oxo-Synthesis 114
Summary 114
Contents 114
1.  General Introduction 115
2.  Chemistry of the Oxo-Synthesis 115
     (a) Primary Reactions 115
     (b) Secondary Reactions 116
     (c) Products from 2 Methylpentene-1 116
3.  Olefines for the Oxo Reaction 118
4.  Catalyst for Oxo-Synthesis 120
TABLE II 121
5.  Operating Conditions 122
     (a) RCH Batch Process 122
     (b) I.G. Leuna 125
     (c) I.G. Ludwigshafen 125
6.  Operating Costs 126
7.  Conclusions 127
8.  List of References 128