Effects of Different Loadings of Ru and Re on Physico Chemical Properties and Performance of 15% Co/AI203 FTS Catalysts

An extensive study offischer-tropsch synthesis (fts) on alumina-supported cobalt catalysts promoted with different amounts of ruthenium and rhenium is reported. up to 2 wt% of promoters, are added to the catalyst by coimpregnation. the catalysts are characterized bydifferent methods including: bet physisorption, x-ray diffraction, hydrogen chemisorption, and temperature-programmed reduction. the effect of the promoters on the reducibility of the cobaltoxide species, dispersion of the cobalt, and activity and selectivity offts is investigated. the re enhances the reducibility ofthe coo to cooand small cobalt oxide particles with higher interactionwith the support. however, ruthenium was found to enhance the reducibility ofc0304 to coo and that ofcoo to coo and small cobalt oxide particles with higher interaction with the support. 1wt%ru and 1.4wt% re increased the activity ofthe catalyst by afactor of2.8 and 2.5 respectively. both promoters enhance the selectivity offischer- tropsch synthesis towards the higher molecular weighthydrocarbons. however, the effect ofre is less pronounced.