Linear alpha olefins from natural gas-derived synthesis gas over a nonshifting cobalt catalyst
AssigneeExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
InventorsGabor Kiss, Rocco Anthony Fiato, Frank Hershkowitz, David Chester Long
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Abstract
Linear alpha olefins having from four to twenty carbon atoms and low amounts of oxygenates are synthesized, by producing a synthesis gas containing H2 and CO from natural gas and passing it over a non-shifting cobalt catalyst at reaction conditions of temperature, % CO conversion, and gas feed H2:CO mole ratio land water vapor pressure, effective for the mathematical expression 200−0.6T+0.03PH2O−0.6XCO−8(H2:CO) to have a numerical value greater than or equal to 50. This process can be integrated into a conventional Fischer-Tropsch hydrocarbon synthesis process producing fuels and lubricant oils.
Claims20
A gas conversion process for producing linear alpha olefins having from four to twenty carbon atoms, comprising passing a synthesis gas comprising a mixture of H2 and CO produced from natural gas into a linear alpha olefin hydrocarbon synthesis reactor, in which said H2 and CO react in the presence of a non-shifting, Fischer-Tropsch hydrocarbon synthesis catalyst comprising a catalytic cobalt component, under reaction conditions defined by a Condition Factor (CF) greater than or equal to 50, to produce hydrocarbons, including a C4-C20 hydrocarbon fraction comprising said linear alpha olefins, wherein said condition factor is defined as:
- CF=200−0.6T+0.03PH2O−0.6XCO−8(H2:CO)
- where,
- T=average temperature in reactor, ° C.
- PH2O=water partial pressure in the synthesis gas feed to the linear alpha olefin reactor, kPa
- XCO=% CO conversion, and
- H2:CO=hydrogen to CO molar ratio in the synthesis gas feed to the linear alpha olefin reactor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.