skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

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

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/467814· OSTI ID:467814
;  [1]; ; ; ;  [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 (PETC), 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
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: [1996]
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English