Kinetic study of Fe & Co perovskite catalyst in Fischer–Tropsch synthesis

Abstract The investigation of the reaction's kinetics is one of the most crucial aspects of the design of a commercial process. The current research investigates the kinetics of Fischer–Tropsch synthesis using a perovskite catalyst. The LaFe 0.7 Co 0.3 O 3 perovskite catalyst was prepared via the thermal sol–gel technique and characterized using BET, XRD, SEM, and H 2 -TPR techniques. According to operating conditions (e.g. H 2 /CO: 1–2, pressure: 10–20 barg, temperature: 240–300 °C, and GHSV: 3000 1/h), Fischer–Tropsch reaction kinetics (CO conversion) were carried out in a fixed-bed reactor. Using the framework of Langmuir–Hinshelwood–Hougen–Watson (LHHW) theories, 18 kinetic expressions for CO conversion were derived, and all were fitted to experimental data one by one to determine the optimum condition. The correlation was derived from experimental data and well-fitted using LHHW form (according to the enol mechanism, carbon monoxide and dissociated hydrogen atoms are adsorbed and reacted on the surface of the catalyst) −r CO = k p b CO P CO (b H2 P H2 ) 0.5 /(1 + b CO P CO + (b H2 P H2 ) 0.5 ) 2 . Finally, the activation energy of the optimum kinetic model was determined with respect to the Arrhenius equation under various operating conditions. The activation energy of perovskite catalyst is about 106.25 kJ/mol at temperatures 240–300 °C, pressures 10–20 barg, and H 2 /CO ratios 1–2, which is lower than other types of catalyst. Therefore, the catalyst was activated at a high temperature and demonstrated stable performance without any temperature runaway and coking issues.