Reasons for Fast Deactivation of the Cobalt Catalyst in High-Efficiency Synthesis of C19+ Waxes via Fischer–Tropsch Protocol
The results of a study of the deactivation of an industrial catalyst Co–Al2O3/SiO2 under the conditions of highly-productive synthesis of long-chained hydrocarbons via Fischer-Tropsch protocol at high pressure (6 MPa) are presented. It was shown that an increase in the synthesis temperature leads to a decrease in the rate of catalyst deactivation. It has been established that influence of thermal agglomeration of cobalt particles and carbon deposition on the catalyst surface under the studied conditions are negligible. A correlation between the rate of catalyst deactivation and the selectivity for С19+ hydrocarbons was found, indicating the blocking of chain growth centers by synthesized waxes, which is the main reason for the rapid loss of catalyst activity. Graphical abstract