Ruthenium Modification on Mn and Zr-Modified Co/SiO2 Catalysts for Slurry-Phase Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis

The addition of Ru to Mn and Zr-modified Co/SiO2 catalysts, while applying different preparation orders and loading amounts, was investigated as a means of enhancing the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reaction. The coimpregnation of Zr/SiO2 with Co, Mn and Ru gave the most attractive catalytic properties. This can be attributed to the higher dispersion of Co metal resulting from the coimpregnation of Co and Mn as well as enhanced reducibility due to the presence of Ru. The addition of a moderate amount of Ru together with the appropriate order of addition affected both the Co reducibility and the catalytic activity, primarily because of increased reducibility. The addition of even 0.1 wt.% Ru resulted in an obvious enhancement of Fischer-Tropsch synthesis activity.