Attempt to yield light hydrocarbons including C3 fraction by supplying ethene and syngas on Co/SiO2 catalyst

When a 1:2 gas mixture of CO and H2, namely syngas, was contacted onto Co/SiO2 catalyst at 513 K with low pressure such as 0.2 kg/cm2, G, methanation was preferentially promoted, whereas chain propagation was suppressed. In contrast to this, when 1:3 gas mixture of ethene and syngas was fed onto Co/SiO2 catalyst under the same conditions, hourly productivity of light hydrocarbons involving C3 fraction was increased 3.3-fold as much as that in the case flowing syngas alone at that condition. It was deduced that formation of light hydrocarbon like C3 was caused by capturing methylidene (=CH2) species by ethene on Co/SiO2 catalyst on which reverse metathesis (C2H4 + 2-C4H8 → 2C3H6) following the dimerization of ethene was not concerned with C3 formation. In addition, a small amount of liquefied hydrocarbons was collected despite the low pressure and chain growth probability (α) was presumed 0.73. It might be suggested that co-feeding ethene and syngas onto FT active catalyst like Co/SiO2 was one of effective methods to obtain light hydrocarbons including C3 fraction at low pressure.