Process for producing a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis catalyst and Fischer-Tropsch start-up process

1 . A process for producing a reduced-and-passivated cobalt-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst, the process comprising the following steps:

(a) contacting a cobalt-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst with a reducing gas under conditions suitable to produce a reduced cobalt-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst;

(b) under a non-oxidising atmosphere, adjusting the temperature of the reduced cobalt-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst to a temperature in the range of from 0° C. to 200° C.;

(c) contacting the reduced cobalt-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst with an oxygen-containing gas stream comprising from 0.1% v/v to 5% v/v oxygen with the balance being an inert gas, at a temperature in the range of from 0° C. to 200° C., in order to produce a reduced-and-passivated cobalt-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst;

wherein, in step (c), the amount of oxygen in the oxygen-containing gas stream, and the temperature, are selected and maintained to produce a reduced-and-passivated cobalt-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst wherein from 15 to 40 mol. % of the cobalt thereon is in the form of cobalt oxide; and

wherein the amount of oxygen in the oxygen-containing gas stream, and the temperature, are selected by the steps of:

(i) performing steps (a) to (c) of the method for a Fischer-Tropsch catalyst having a given composition and under a given set of process conditions at a first temperature and using an oxygen-containing gas stream having a first oxygen content to produce a test catalyst;

(ii) determining the proportion of cobalt on the test catalyst that is in the form of cobalt oxide by performing temperature programmed reduction of the test catalyst;

(iii) if the proportion of cobalt on the test catalyst that is in the form of cobalt oxide is outside the range of from 15 to 40 mol. %, repeating steps (i) and (ii) at a second temperature, different to the first temperature, and/or a second oxygen content, different to the first oxygen content.

2 . A process according to claim 1 , wherein from 20 to 32 mol. % of the cobalt on the reduced-and-passivated cobalt-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst is in the form of cobalt oxide.

3 . A process according to claim 1 , wherein the contacting step (c) comprises contacting the reduced cobalt-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst with the oxygen-containing gas stream at a temperature of from 5° C. to 100° C.

4 . A process according to claim 1 , wherein the oxygen-containing gas stream comprises from 0.2% v/v to 2.5% v/v oxygen.

5 . A process according to claim 1 , wherein the oxygen-containing gas stream is contacted with the reduced cobalt-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst continuously in a fixed bed reactor.

6 . A process according to claim 5 , wherein the oxygen gas containing stream is contacted with the reduced cobalt-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst at a GHSV of from 1000 to 30000 h −1 .

7 . A process according to claim 1 , wherein the contacting step (c) is conducted at a pressure of from 1 bar absolute to 31 bar absolute.

8 . A process according to claim 1 , wherein the reduced cobalt-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst comprises one or more promoters.

9 . The process according to claim 8 , wherein the one or more promoters are selected from the list consisting of ruthenium, palladium, platinum, rhodium, rhenium, manganese, chromium, nickel, iron, molybdenum, boron, tungsten, zirconium, gallium, thorium, lanthanum, cerium and mixtures thereof.

10 . A process according to claim 1 , wherein the reduced-and-passivated cobalt-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst is stored under a dry atmosphere, and/or wherein the reduced-and-passivated cobalt-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst is coated with wax or hydrocarbons.

11 . A process according to claim 10 , wherein in part (a) the cobalt-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst is reduced by contacting the catalyst with a flow of hydrogen at a temperature of from 200° C. to 600° C.

12 . A process according to claim 1 , wherein from 20 to 35 mol. % of the cobalt on the reduced-and-passivated cobalt-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst is in the form of cobalt oxide.

13 . A start-up process for a Fischer-Tropsch catalyst, the start-up process comprising the steps of:

(a) contacting a cobalt-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst with a reducing gas under conditions suitable to produce a reduced cobalt-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst;

(b) under a non-oxidising atmosphere, adjusting the temperature of the reduced cobalt-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst to a temperature in the range of from 0° C. to 200° C.;

(c) contacting the reduced cobalt-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst with an oxygen-containing gas stream comprising from 0.1% v/v to 5% v/v oxygen with the balance being an inert gas, at a temperature in the range of from 0° C. to 200° C., in order to produce a reduced-and-passivated cobalt-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst;

wherein, in step (c), the amount of oxygen in the oxygen-containing gas stream, and the temperature, are selected and maintained to produce a reduced-and-passivated cobalt-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst wherein from 15 to 40 mol. % of the cobalt thereon is in the form of cobalt oxide; and

wherein the amount of oxygen in the oxygen-containing gas stream, and the temperature, are selected by the steps of:

(i) performing steps (a) to (c) of the start-up process for a Fischer-Tropsch catalyst having a given composition and under a given set of process conditions at a first temperature and using an oxygen-containing gas stream having a first oxygen content to produce a test catalyst;

(ii) determining the proportion of cobalt on the test catalyst that is in the form of cobalt oxide by performing temperature programmed reduction of the test catalyst;

(iii) if the proportion of cobalt on the test catalyst that is in the form of cobalt oxide is outside the range of from 15 to 40 mol. %, repeating steps (i) and (ii) at a second temperature, different to the first temperature, and/or a second oxygen content, different to the first oxygen content

(d) contacting the reduced cobalt-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst with a syngas gas stream under conditions suitable to activate the catalyst for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis;

(e) optionally adjusting the temperature to the desired reaction temperature for performing Fischer-Tropsch synthesis with the activated catalyst from step (d).

14 . The process of claim 13 , wherein step (d) is performed at a temperature of less than 350° C.

15 . The process of claim 13 , wherein the syngas stream in step (d) comprises hydrogen and carbon monoxide in a H 2 :CO ratio of from about 1:1 to about 3:1.

16 . The process of claim 13 , wherein less than 10 mol. % of the cobalt on the activated catalyst from step (d) is in the form of cobalt oxide.

17 . The process of claim 13 , wherein in step (d) the syngas stream is contacted with the catalyst at a GHSV of from 500 to 10000 h −1 .

18 . The process of claim 13 , wherein in step (d) the syngas stream is contacted with the catalyst at a pressure of from atmospheric pressure to 51 bar absolute.

19 . The process of claim 13 , wherein in the optionally adjusting the temperature to the desired reaction temperature for performing Fischer-Tropsch synthesis with the activated catalyst from step (d), the temperature is adjusted to a temperature of from 100° C. to 400° C.; or alternatively wherein in step (e) the temperature is maintained at a temperature used in step (d).

20 . The process of claim 13 , wherein from 20 to 32 mol. % of the cobalt on the reduced-and-passivated cobalt-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst is in the form of cobalt oxide.

21 . The process of claim 13 , wherein the reduced-and-passivated cobalt-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst in step (a) is a supported catalyst.

22 . The process of claim 13 , wherein the start-up process comprises the steps of:

(a) contacting a cobalt-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst with a reducing gas under conditions suitable to produce a reduced cobalt-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst;

(b) under a non-oxidising atmosphere, adjusting the temperature of the reduced cobalt-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst to a temperature in the range of from 0° C. to 100° C.;

(c) contacting the reduced cobalt-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst with an oxygen-containing gas stream comprising from 0.1% v/v to 5% v/v oxygen with the balance being an inert gas, at a temperature in the range of from 0° C. to 100° C., in order to produce a reduced-and-passivated cobalt-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst;

wherein, in step (c), the amount of oxygen in the oxygen-containing gas stream, the temperature, and the time are selected and maintained to produce a reduced-and-passivated cobalt-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst wherein from 20 to 35 mol. % of the cobalt thereon is in the form of cobalt oxide; and

wherein, in step (c), the temperature of the catalyst is prevented from exceeding 100° C.

23 . The process of claim 13 , wherein the reduced-and-passivated cobalt-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst provided in step (a) is produced in a different location to where the start-up process is performed.

24 . The process according to claim 23 , wherein the reduced-and-passivated cobalt-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst is stored under a dry or inert atmosphere during transportation.