Study of activity, products selectivity and physico-chemical properties of bifunctional Fe/HZSM-5 Fischer–Tropsch catalyst: Effect of catalyst shaping

•Preparing iron – zeolite bifunctional catalyst by the physical admixing.•Shaping of bifunctional catalyst using binder.•Study of physico-chemical properties of shaped catalyst.•Activity evaluation of shaped catalyst.•Evaluation of binder presents on catalyst activity.

Fe/Cu/La/Si catalyst was prepared by co-precipitation, mixed with HZSM-5 zeolite and shaped to cylinders form by a binder for increasing the mechanical strength of bifunctional catalyst. Activity of the prepared Fe/HZSM5 in syngas conversion to hydrocarbons was studied in a fixed bed micro reactor. The influence of binders on the catalyst performance, physico-chemical properties and products selectivity of bifunctional Fe/HZSM-5 catalyst was studied under reaction condition, P = 1.7 MPa, T = 563 K, H2/CO = 1 and GHSV = 5.04 nl h−1 g−1 Fe. The results showed that the catalyst activity for Fischer–Tropsch synthesis and water-gas-shift reactions was enhanced by the alumina binders in comparison to the silica binders and also secondary reactions in the presence of alumina were occurred rather than silica.