Exxonmobil Research and Engineering Company

Exxon Research and Engineering Company

Gregg Johnston Howsmon

Robert J Wittenbrink

Claude C Culross

Charles H Mauldin

Geoffrey R Say

Louis F Burns

Jack Wayne Johnson

William A Wachter

Christine Esther Kliewer

Loren Leon Ansell

Jeffrey T Elks

Adeana Richelle Bishop

Hyung Suk Woo

William Berlin Genetti

Leroy Russell Clavenna

Nancy Marie Page

Dewaxed fuel and lubricant base stocks are made by (a) producing a synthesis gas from natural gas, (b) reacting the Hand CO in the gas in the presence of a cobalt Fischer-Tropsch catalyst, at reaction conditions effective to synthesize a waxy hydrocarbon feed boiling in the fuel and lubricant oil ranges, which is hydrodewaxed in a first stage to produce a dewaxed fuel and a partially dewaxed lubricant fraction. The partially dewaxed lubricant fraction is separated into heavy and lower boiling fractions each of which is separately hydrodewaxed, to produce lubricant base stocks. A hydrodewaxing catalyst comprising a hydrogenation component, binder and solid acid component used to hydrodewax at least one, and preferably at least two of the waxy feed and partially dewaxed heavy and lower boiling lubricant fractions.

Production of fuels and lube oils from fischer-tropsch wax

A hydrocarbon wax product from a HCS slurry comprising liquid synthesis product and catalyst particles is purified by circulating the slurry from a synthesis zone with a first temperature through a treatment zone with a second temperature in which a hydrogen-containing treatment gas contacts the slurry. The gas treatment removes impurities from the hydrocarbon wax product and also removes catalyst de-activating species which may be present in the slurry. Purified wax product is separated and removed from the treated slurry via wax withdrawal means. This avoids or minimizes the need for further treating the wax product. Remaining treated slurry may be returned to the synthesis zone.

Temperature controlled in situ wax purification

A process for increasing the hydrogenation activity, particularly the carbon monoxide hydrogenation activity, of a catalyst or catalyst precursor comprised of a particulate solids support component and a catalytic metal, or metals component, preferably cobalt; cobalt alone or cobalt and an additional metal, or metals added to promote or modify the reaction produced by the cobalt. Treatment of the catalyst, or catalyst precursor is conducted at low temperature ranging from ambient to about 275&deg; C. sufficient to form on the surface of a catalyst precursor, e.g., a cobalt catalyst precursor, a cobalt metal hydroxide, low valence cobalt metal oxide, or mixture of cobalt metal hydroxide and low valence cobalt metal oxide. Sometimes also metallic metal, e.g., cobalt, is also formed, and dispersed on the surface of the support. On reduction, as may be produced by contact and treatment of the catalyst or catalyst precursor with hydrogen, the oxidized metal, or metals component of the catalyst or catalyst precursor is reduced to elemental or metallic metal, and the activity of the catalyst thereby increased. A catalyst, activated or produced in this manner, is a useful composition of matter, the catalyst being particularly useful for efficiently conducting carbon monoxide hydrogenation reactions, especially F-T synthesis reactions, to provide a variety of useful products.

Process for increasing carbon monoxide hydrogenation activity of catalysts via low temperature oxidation with water, steam or mixture thereof

A hydrocarbon synthesis (HCS) process wherein a Fischer-Tropsch reactor is operated to maximize the selectivity to 371&deg; C.&plus; boiling fraction while minimizing the production of less valuable products such as light gases (C -C ), naphtha and diesel fractions. Inventive modes of operation to offset the effects of catalyst deactivation and maximize selectivity to 371&deg; C.&plus; boiling fraction are utilized including (a) reducing gas inlet velocity to maintain an optimal CO conversion level, (b) introducing additional active catalyst until a maximum loading is reached, and (c) increasing reactor temperature until productivity reaches a predetermined cut-off level.

Process for maximizing 371&deg; C.&plus; production in fischer-tropsch process

Small particle size catalysts having an average particle size of less than 20 or 10 microns, which agglomerate when contacted with a hydrocarbon liquid, are easily dispersed in the hydrocarbon liquid by first forming a mixture comprising the catalyst particles and one or more non-acidic, liquid polar oxygenates, such as an alcohol, ketone, ester, ether or mixture thereof. The mixture is contacted with the hydrocarbon liquid in which the particles then readily disperse. This process is useful for adding fresh or regenerated small particle size catalyst to catalytic hydroprocessing process slurries, including a reactive Fischer-Tropsch hydrocarbon synthesis slurry. One to four carbon atom alcohols are preferred oxygenates for use with a Fischer-Tropsch slurry.

Small catalyst particle addition to slurry reactor (Law749)

Small catalyst particle addition to slurry reactor

Growing community of inventors

Baton Rouge, LA, United States of America

Gregg Johnston Howsmon