In-situe treatment of a fischer-tropsch catalyst

Abstract

A process for converting a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide to a hydrocarbon composition comprising one or more optionally oxygenated hydrocarbons, the process comprising the following steps: (a) providing a first catalyst material comprising cobalt disposed on a support; (b) reducing the first catalyst material to form the first activated catalyst; (c) contacting the first activated catalyst with a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide at a first reaction temperature (TR1) of at least 180° C. and first reaction pressure (PR1) of at least 10 bara to produce hydrocarbons for a first reaction time period of at least 24 hours; (d) after the first reaction time period, contacting the first activated catalyst with a first hydrogen rich stream at a first temperature (T1) and a first pressure (P1) to form a first treated catalyst; (e) contacting the first treated catalyst with a carbon monoxide rich stream at a second pressure (P2) and a second temperature (T2) to provide a second treated catalyst, wherein P2 is at least 1 bara and at most 50 bara, and T2 is at most 300° C.; (f) contacting the second treated catalyst with a second hydrogen rich stream at a third temperature (T3) and a third pressure (P3) to form a second activated catalyst, wherein P3 is at least 10 bara and wherein T3 is less than 300° C.; and (g) contacting the second activated catalyst with a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide at a second reaction temperature (TR2) of at least 180° C. and second reaction pressure (PR2) of at least 10 bara to produce hydrocarbons.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.