Determination of Conditions for the Technologically Optimized Reduction of Highly Efficient Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis Catalysts

The activation of highly efficient cobalt catalysts for Fischer–Tropsch synthesis has been studied taking into account the transformation of the resulting structures and the presence of a heat-conducting percolation network of metallic aluminum. The effect of the temperature, process duration, reducing gas composition, and reducing gas hourly space velocity on the degree of reduction and the specific surface area of the active catalyst component has been studied. The above characteristics have been determined by low- and high-temperature oxygen titration on a chromatographic sorption unit and by temperature-programmed reduction. The tests have shown the possibility of decreasing the temperature and the hydrogen concentration in the gas to achieve the required parameters during reduction to synthesize a highly efficient catalyst system. The parameters of this system in Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (CO conversion, liquid hydrocarbon productivity) are comparable to or better than for a catalyst reduced under standard conditions.