Synthesis and Characterization Fe/SiO2 as Catalyst Fischer-Tropsch Using Impregnation and Sol-Gel Method

• Main Author: Ratna Sari, Dewi
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Subjects: Kimia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/32271
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

The Fischer-Tropsch (FT) reaction is a reaction that utilized CO and H2 (syngas) to produce hydrocarbon mixture that can be used as clean liquid fuel. Catalyst is the most important factor in FT reaction therefore it needs to be developed to increase productivity and selectivity of the FT reaction. In this research was compared characteristic of Fe/SiO2 as catalyst that synthesized using impregnation and sol-gel method. Silica used as supported material was synthesized using sol-gel method using tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as a precursor. TEOS was dissolved in methanol then hydrolyzed by adding NH3 solution. Dispersion of iron from Fe(NO3)3 solution on the supported material was done by wetness incipient impregnation (catalyst 1) and sol-gel (catalyst 2) methods. Both catalyst 1 and 2 was characterized using X-Ray Difraction (XRD), Nitrogen Fisisorption and Scanning Electron Microscopic (SEM). XRD difractogram showed that silica structure of both catalysts is amorphous. Nitrogen fisisorption revealed that surface area of silica used in catalyst 1 is 585.200 m2/g and after impregnation (catalyst 1) is 530.641 m2/g, while surface area of catalyst 2 is 471.502 m2/g. Catalitycal activity test was conducted using fixed bed reactor at 1.05 atm, 473 K, with CO : H2 ratio 1: 2 and approximately 15 mL/min flow rate. Catalytical activity expressed in % conversion of CO is 14.20% for catalyst 1 and 15.33% for catalyst 2, therefore it can be concluded that sol-gel method produce better FT catalyst. Later on iron precursor in sol–gel method was varied using Fe(NO3)3.9H2O, FeCl3.6H2O and Na[Fe(EDTA)] which respectively has catalitycal activity of 14.38, 17.72 and 8.60%. Based on CO conversion, it can be known that catalyst that was synthesized using FeCl3.H2O as iron precursor has the highest catalityc activity.