Synthesis of hydrocarbons from carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the presence of cobalt catalysts promoted with cerium oxide

Abstract

The effect of the promotion of Co/SiO₂ catalysts with cerium oxide on their physicochemical characteristics and activity in the synthesis of hydrocarbons from CO and H₂ was studied. According to X-ray diffraction data, the average size of Co₃O₄ crystallites weakly depends on the introduced amount of the promoter. The results of temperature-programmed reduction and oxygen titration showed that the degree of cobalt reduction in the hydrogen-activated catalysts increased with the concentration of the CeO₂ promoter. The activity of the promoted samples increased proportionally to the content of cerium, and selectivity for the target higher hydrocarbons reached a maximum in the Co–20Ce/SiO₂ sample.