Catalytic performance of KL zeolite-supported iron and cobalt catalysts for the Fischer–Tropsch synthesis

In this work, Fe and Co were introduced into a KL zeolite support by incipient wetness impregnation to obtain catalysts for the Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS). The samples were analyzed by several techniques including atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), N2 adsorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), H2-temperature programmed reduction (TPR) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The catalytic performance for the FTS was tested with a fixed bed reactor. The particle size distribution of the samples was estimated by TEM microphotographs and showed that the diameters of the iron and cobalt particles were ~ 6 nm and 8–20 nm, respectively. The catalyst with the higher percentage of iron promoted the highest CO conversion, and the distribution of the products was shifted to light fractions. The iron-based catalysts were more active than cobalt in the CO conversion, but the latter yielded a higher content of hydrocarbons with 5 and more carbons.