The Effect of Cobalt to Iron Ratio on Novel Perovskite Catalysts for Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis

Fischer-Tropsch synthesis is a direct method to produce fuels with low aromatic and sulfur content. Among various types of catalysts used for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, the perovskite catalysts are more effective in a wide range of chemical reactions and have significant applications for gas-solid reactions. This study investigates the application of LaFe(۱−x)CoxO۳ perovskite catalyst with various Co to Fe ratios in Fischer Tropsch synthesis. The perovskite oxides are prepared via the sol-gel method and characterized using temperature-programmed reduction (H۲-TPR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission electron micrographs (TEM), and BET surface area techniques. In addition, the catalyst is tested in a fixed bed reactor at ۲۴۰, ۲۶۰, ۲۸۰, and ۳۰۰ °C and ۲۰ barg pressure. The results show that the crystal structure of LaFe(۱−x)CoxO۳ perovskite catalyst is changed and demonstrated high activity due to the iron active site; therefore, by increasing the amount of iron catalyst structure shifts to the orthorhombic and the CO conversion increases noticeably. Results show that the LaFe۰.۷Co۰.۳O۳ catalyst at ۲۸۰ °C is a possible candidate for Fischer-Tropes synthesis.

Keywords:

Fischer Tropsch Synthesis , Perovskite , Product Selectivity