The results of development of an industrial supported cobalt–silica gel catalyst for the Fischer–Tropsch synthesis are reported. The studies included the selection of a support and the determination of an optimum active component content, a calcination temperature, and the effect of doping with aluminum oxide on the physicochemical and catalytic properties of the Co–SiO₂ system. The catalyst samples were characterized by a set of physicochemical methods. The on-stream stability of the supported cobalt–silica gel catalyst was tested in the continuous mode for 1000 h. In the course of the entire test cycle, the catalyst exhibited stable operation under varied synthesis temperature and gas space velocity, and it can be recommended for industrial applications. The experimental results were used for the preparation of a pilot batch of the catalyst.

A review of recent studies on the Fischer–Tropsch synthesis of heavy paraffins is presented. The effects of temperature, pressure, feed composition, active metal, promoters and carriers on the formation of heavy products are discussed. New approaches to wax-selective processes such as the application of metallic carriers and supercritical fluids are also described.

Production of synthetic diesel fuel by the Fischer–Tropsch (FT) method in the presence of a composite catalyst prepared by mechanically mixing 35 wt % Co/SiO2, 30 wt % HZSM-5, and 30 wt % Al2O3has...