Semester

Spring

Date of Graduation

2011

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MS

College

Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources

Department

Chemical and Biomedical Engineering

Committee Chair

Dady Dadyburjor.

Abstract

The effects of varying the loading of four promoters on activated carbon supported iron catalysts were investigated. The base case catalyst studied consists of 6 wt% Mo, 16 wt% Fe, 0.8 wt% Cu and 0.9 wt% K. Molybdenum loadings of 0 wt%, 3 wt%, 6 wt% and 12 wt% were studied along with iron loadings of 0 wt%, 8 wt%, 16 wt% and 32%, copper loadings of 0 wt%, 0.4 wt%, 0.8 wt% and 1.6 wt%, and potassium loadings of 0 wt%, 0.45 wt%, 0.9 wt% and 1.8 wt%. The reactor conditions used were 300ºC, 300 psig, and 6 Nl/gcat/h. The syngas used had a H2/CO ratio of 1.0. The reaction was carried out over a period of 72 hours.;Data were gathered on the gaseous products and the two phases of the liquid products, the aqueous phase (containing oxygenates such as alcohols) and the oil phase (containing hydrocarbons such as paraffins and olefins). The data reported in this thesis were taken from the 24-48 hour period. The data gathered were fitted in a regression model. Catalysts were characterized using BET, XRD and TPR. Results were also compared to similar studies, but with simpler catalyst formulations.;The addition of Mo lowers CO conversion, but increases stability. The oxygenate production has a maximum at 6% Mo. An increase in Mo loading corresponds to a decrease in oil production. An increase in Fe loading causes an increase in CO conversion. Changes in the Fe loading do not significantly effect aqueous production. Increases in Fe content causes an increase in oil production. Changes in Cu loading have little effect on all parameters. The absence of K in the catalyst causes a very low conversion while all other K catalysts have comparable CO conversions. Increasing the K loading causes an increase in oil production.;Equations for the CO conversion, oil fraction yield, hydrocarbon production rate, olefin-to-paraffin ratio, gasoline range production and diesel range production were fitted. The oil fraction yield and olefin-to-paraffin ratio equations were very good fits to the data while the other equations did not fit the data as well.

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