Fischer commercial applications

This section covers recent advances in the application of three-phase fluidization systems in the petroleum and chemical process industries. These areas encompass many of the important commercial applications of three-phase fluidized beds. The technology for such applications as petroleum resid processing and Fischer-Tropsch synthesis have been successfully demonstrated in plants throughout the world. Overviews and operational considerations for recent improvements in the hydrotreating of petroleum resids, applications in the hydrotreating of light gas-oil, and improvements and new applications in hydrocarbon synthesis will be discussed. 

Fischer-Tropsch Catalysts. - It is well known that all Group VIII transition metals are active for F-T synthesis. However, the only F-T catalysts, which have sufficient CO hydrogenation activity for commercial application, are composed of Ni, Co, Fe or Ru as the active metal phase. These metals are orders-of-magnitude more active than the other Group VIII metals and some characteristics of Ni-, Fe-, Co- and Ru-based F-T catalysts are summarized in Table 2. 

The CO-hydrogenation reaction, or Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) synthesis reaction, has been thoroughly investigated since its discovery fn the 1920 s [1]. A range of catalysts has been shown to be active for hydrocarbon synthesis and iron [2] and cobalt [3] have found commercial applications in this field. A variety of reactors have been developed to optimize the synthesis reaction [4]. Variations of reactor conditions have been shown to maximize specific products from the broad range of products produced in the reaction [5). 

Synthesis with fluidized catalysts. Investigations made in the United States during the last decade (61) showed that the Fischer process could economically produce gasoline in this country if the necessary carbon monoxide-hydrogen mixture was produced from natural gas. New methods, however, seemed necessary for the commercial application... 

The Liirgi pressurized gasifier has been used extensively in commercial applications for Fischer-Tropsch syngas generation and Synthetic Natural Gas applications in which CO/H2 gas is converted to a high-Btu gas via methanation within the gasifier as well as in downstream reactors (methane formed via CO + 3H2 CH4 + h20). 

More recently, commercial application of the Fischer-Tropsch process... 

A particularly intriguing potential application of this reaction is the upgrading of the products of Fischer-Tropsch catalysis to increase the eventual yield of desirable n-aUcane chain lengths (typically C9-C19). FT catalysis, already practiced on a large scale commercially, may prove to be a key route to the future utilization of coal, biomass, or other nonpetroleum carbon sources (including CO2 reduction powered by solar, wind, or nuclear energy) [51, 52]. 

Ref 17, Method D90—1) Moisture by Carbon Tetrachloride Distillation. See Section 1A in this write-up under GENERAL METHODS OF ANALYSIS APPLICABLE TO COMMERCIAL BLASTING EXPLOSIVES, INCLUDING DYNAMITES. Procedure D—la. Moisture by Karl Fischer Method (Ref 11, pl354 Ref 17, Method D90—la). See Section IB under GENERAL METHODS, etc... 

This technique has already been discussed fully in this series (Fischer 1969) and its application to small oligonucleotides has been mentioned ( 1.1). Different gel types separate different useful molecular weight ranges up to about 10 dalton. For good resolution the sample volume must be small compared with the column volume and the viscosity must be low. So, large columns are required for preparative work. These are available commercially (e.g. Pharmacia Fine Chemicals AB). 

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