The formation and influence of carbon on cobalt-based Fischer-Tropsch synthesis catalysts: An integrated review

The existing open and patent literature on the topic of carbon deposition was integrated with current work to provide a clearer understanding on the role of carbon as a deactivation mechanism of cobalt catalysts in the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS). Although the FTS did occur in the presence of active surface carbon and various hydrocarbon products, there may be a gradual transformation into inactive more stable forms of carbon in extended runs. This carbon could be possibly detrimental for catalyst activity. A deactivating polymeric carbon build-up may occur on Co/Pt/Al2O3 FTS catalysts, taken from a 100-bpd slurry bubble column reactor operated at commercially relevant FTS conditions. This polymeric carbon is located both on the support and on cobalt. This is an abstract of a paper presented at the 236th ACS National Meeting (Philadelphia, PA 8/17-21/2008)