Sasol Technology Proprietary Limited

Engelhard De Meern B.v.

Tjaart Jurgens Van Der Walt

Jacobus Lucas Visagie

Jan Van De Loosdrecht

Peter Jacobus Van Berge

Hans Marcel Veltman

Johan Coenraad Sollie

Sylvia Sollie-Breur, Legal Representative

A particulate pre-reduction cobalt supported Fischer-Tropsch synthesis catalyst precursor which comprises a catalyst support impregnated with cobalt, is treated with a pure hydrogen reducing gas, at a first specific feed gas space velocity, SV1, and at a first heating rate, HR1, to obtain a partially reduced precursor. The support contains reducible cobalt oxide in a calcined state and having a formula-unit in which each mole of cobalt atoms is associated with more than 4/3 moles of oxygen atoms and displaying a reducible cobalt oxide specific surface area at least equal to that of CoOspinel. The partially reduced precursor is then treated with a pure hydrogen reducing gas, at a second specific feed gas space velocity, SV2, and at a second heating rate, HR2, to obtain an activated supported Fischer-Tropsch catalyst, with SV2&#x2266;SV1 and/or HR2&#x2267;HR1; however, when SV2=SV1, HR2&#x2260;HR1 and when HR2=HR1, SV2&#x2260;SV1.

Process for activating cobalt catalysts

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Sasolburg, South Africa

Tjaart Jurgens Van Der Walt