Separation of Fischer-Tropsch wax from catalyst by supercritical extraction. Quarterly report, July 1, 1996 - September 30, 1996

Technical Report · Tue Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1996

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/467814· OSTI ID:467814

Joyce, P C; Thies, M C ^[1]; Sherrard, D; Biales, J; Kilpatrick, P; Roberts, G ^[2]

---

1. USDOE Pittsburgh Energy Technology Center, PA (United States)
2. North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (United States). Dept. of Chemical Engineering

The objective of this research projects is to evaluate the potential of SCF extraction for separating the catalyst slurry of a Fischer- Tropsch (F-T) slurry bubble column (SBC) reactor into two fractions: (1) a catalyst-free wax containing less than 10 ppm particulate matter and (2) a concentrated catalyst slurry that is ready for recycle or regeneration. The wax will be extracted with a hydrocarbon solvent that has a critical temperature near the operating temperature of the SBC reactor, i.e. 200-300{degrees}C. Initial work is being performed using n-hexane as the solvent. The success of the projects depends on two major factors. First, the supercritical solvent must be able to dissolve the F-T wax; furthermore, the must be accomplished without entraining the solid catalyst. Second, the extraction must be controlled so as not to favor the removal of the low molecular weight wax compounds, i.e., a constant carbon-number distribution of the alkanes in the wax slurry must be maintained at steady-state column operation. The project includes three tasks (1) equilibrium solubility measurements, (2) thermodynamic modeling, and (3) process design studies.

• Research Organization: USDOE Pittsburgh Energy Technology Center, PA (United States); Clemson Univ., SC (United States). Dept. of Chemical Engineering; North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (United States). Dept. of Chemical Engineering
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: FG22-94PC94219
• OSTI ID: 467814
• Report Number(s): DOE/PC/94219--T8; ON: DE97051423
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
BINARY MIXTURES
CATALYSTS
EQUATIONS OF STATE
EQUILIBRIUM
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FISCHER-TROPSCH SYNTHESIS
HEXADECANE
HEXANE
LIQUIDS
ORGANIC SOLVENTS
PROGRESS REPORT
RECYCLING
SIMULATION
SLURRIES
SOLUBILITY
SUPERCRITICAL GAS EXTRACTION
THERMODYNAMIC MODEL
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
VAPORS
WAXES