Process for removing aluminum contaminants from fischer-tropsch feed streams using dicarboxylic acid

Abstract

A process for removing aluminum contaminants from the product of a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reaction wherein said contaminants comprise at least 1 ppm of aluminum expressed as elemental metal in aluminum-containing contaminants having an effective diameter of less than 1 micron, said process comprising the steps of (a) collecting the contaminated Fischer-Tropsch product from the Fischer-Tropsch reactor; (b) forming a mixture comprising the contaminated Fischer-Tropsch product, at least an equal molar amount of a dicarboxylic acid containing from 2 to about 8 carbon atoms based upon the amount of aluminum present, and sufficient water for the dicarboxylic acid to form hydrogen ions; (c) maintaining the mixture under pre-selected conditions for a time sufficient for the aluminum contaminant and the dicarboxylic acid to form an aluminum containing precipitate having an effective diameter of greater than about 1 micron; (d) passing the mixture of step (c) through a particulate removal zone capable of removing substantially all of the aluminum-containing precipitate; and (e) recovering from the particulate removal zone a Fischer-Tropsch product containing less than about 1 ppm total aluminum.