Effects of loading and synthesis method of titania-supported cobalt catalysts for Fischer–Tropsch synthesis

• Co/TiO2 (4–24 wt.% Co) catalysts were prepared by IWI and two deposition precipitation, methods (DPA/DPU).
• WTY increased with Co loading for all catalyst systems studied.
• Co/TiO2 catalysts prepared by DPA showed the highest activities and C5+ selectivities over the entire loading range.

Because of their high activity and selectivity to C5+ hydrocarbons in the Fischer–Tropsch, process, titania-supported cobalt catalysts have received great interest from industrial and academic, institutions. Here, we report on three catalyst preparation procedures, incipient wetness impregnation (IWI), deposition precipitation using urea hydrolysis (DPU) or ammonia evaporation (DPA) to prepare, Co/TiO2 catalysts with 4–24 wt.% Co. The results reveal a strong impact of the catalyst preparation, procedure on dispersion and distribution of cobalt over the titania surface. IWI led to clustered cobalt, oxide particles of ∼10 nm, while for the DPA catalysts, similarly sized nanoparticles were found to be, well-distributed over the support surface. Co/TiO2 catalysts prepared by DPU showed the presence of, ∼2 nm supported cobalt oxide particles beside large unsupported particles. Catalytic tests under, industrially relevant conditions show that the DPA catalysts displayed a superior activity and C5+, selectivity for the entire cobalt loading range studied.

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