PROSPECTS FOR USING A COBALT CATALYST FOR FISHER-TROPSCH SYNTHESIS BASED ON SYNTHETIC SILICA ALUMINA

The possibility of the use of commercially available silica-alumina hydrate Siral-40, containing 40 wt.% of SiO2, in the composition of a composite cobalt Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS) catalyst was studied. The use of silica aluminas may become a new promising direction in the development of catalysts for a shortened technological chain based on the use of bifunctional catalysts that make it possible to eliminate the hydroprocessing stage. In addition, such catalysts can be useful for expanding the range of products obtained, including those unconventional for single-reactor Fischer–Tropsch synthesis. The initial silica alumina powder was pretreated in air flow at different temperatures to adjust the concentration of acid cites on its surface. The initial and calcined powders were studied using X-ray diffraction analysis, IR spectroscopy and sorption methods. The catalysts were investigated by diffraction and sorption methods. It has been shown that an increase in the calcination temperature of the initial Siral-40 powder leads to a decrease in the specific surface area and pore volume of catalysts based on it, with temperatures above 900 °C having the greatest effect. The synthesized catalysts were active in FTS, and the composition of the obtained C5+ hydrocarbons depended more on the properties of the Siral-40 powder than the catalytic performance. The composition of C5+ hydrocarbons, obtained in the presence of all investigated catalysts contained at least 60% of diesel fraction and more than 30% of wide base oil fraction. Thus, synthetic amorphous silica aluminas are a promising component for new Fischer–Tropsch synthesis catalysts, which make it possible to obtain a wide range of products without the use of a deep hydroprocessing stage in the technological chain. For citation: Sineva L.V., Asalieva E.Yu., Gryaznov K.O., Mordkovich V.Z. Prospects for using a cobalt catalyst for Fisher-Tropsch synthesis based on synthetic silica alumina. ChemChemTech [Izv. Vyssh. Uchebn. Zaved. Khim. Khim. Tekhnol.]. 2024. V. 67. N 10. P. 88-98. DOI: 10.6060/ivkkt.20246710.7y.