THERMOGRAVIMETRIC STUDY ON THE REDUCTION PROCESS OF UNSUPPORTED AND CARBON-SUPPORTED FE, MO AND FE-MO CATALYSTS FOR FISCHER-TROPSCH SYNTHESIS

The catalytic performance of unsupported and carbon-supported Fe, Mo a nd Fe-Mo catalysts for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis is greatly influenced by the final reduction states of the catalysts. In this investigation , the reduction process of the catalysts by H-2 was studied by using T G-DTG. The reduction process depends not only on the reducibility of m etals but also on the nature of the support. Methanation of the suppor t occurred as soon as the supported metals were completely reduced for the carbon-supported catalysts. For these, the reduction temperature should by carefully selected so that the metal oxides are reduced as c ompletely as possible, whilst the methanation of the support must be a voided to obtain optimum reduced catalysts.