An Experimental Study of the Performance of Isomorphically Zirconium-Substituted Mesoporous Alumina Supported Cobalt Catalysts in Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis

Abstract

A series of mesoporous alumina (MA) supported cobalt (Co/MA) catalysts with MA isomorphically substituted by zirconium (Zr) were synthesised and evaluated for their performance in the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. The Zr/(Zr + Al) atomic ratios varied from 1% - 15%. A zirconium-impregnated Co/MA catalyst prepared by wet impregnation with a Zr/(Zr + Al) atomic ratio of 5% was also evaluated to examine Zr incorporation’s effect method. The catalysts synthesised were characterised using N2 adsorption-desorption, X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRD), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). It was found that Zr4+ ions were incorporated into the framework of MA and kept intact up to a Zr/(Zr + Al) atomic ratio of 5%. The cobalt dispersion and reducibility were improved as the Zr/(Zr + Al) atomic ratio increased to 50%. The performance of these catalysts for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis was evaluated using a fixed bed reactor at temperature and pressure of 493 K and 20 bar, respectively. The feed syngas had an H2/CO ratio of 2, diluted with 10% Ar. For isomorphically Zr-substituted Co/MA, the CO conversion and selectivity of diesel (C10 - C20) increased first and then decreased with increasing the Zr/(Zr + Al) atomic ratio. The maximum 38.9% CO conversion and 34.6% diesel (C10 - C20) selectivity were obtained at Zr/(Zr + Al) atomic ratio of 5%. The isomorphic substitution method was better than the wet impregnation method in CO conversion and diesel selectivity.