From Natural Gas To Liquid Hydrocarbons. Part 3: Kinetics of the Fischer-Tropsch-Synthesis using a Nitrogen-rich Synthesis Gas

For countries in remote areas with large reserves of natural gas, e.g. the State of Qatar, the economic utilization of this gas is in our opinion only possible in a low-cost process that converts the natural gas to liquid hydrocarbons. The basic concept of low-cost process was presented in the first of a series of four papers: in a first step a nitrogen-rich synthesis gas is produced by catalytic partial oxidation of natural gas with air (for details see the second paper). The syngas is then converted by Fischer-Tropsch-synthesis to higher hydrocarbons. In the following and third paper the results of kinetic studies on Fischer-Tropsch-synthesis are discussed. The experiments were carried out by using an alkalized precipitated iron catalyst in a bench-scale reactor at pressures up to 30 bar and temperatures ranging from 200-300°C