Process for hydrocarbon synthesis

1. A method for the preparation of a catalyst or catalyst precursor comprising:

(a) admixing:

(i) a carrier material;

(ii) a crystalline solid solution of a cobalt compound and one or more d-metal compounds;

(b) forming the mixture of step (a); and

(c) drying and/or calcining the mixture of step (b),

wherein 90% or more of the crystals in the crystalline solid solution comprises 1 to 10 wt % of a d-metal, calculated on the total weight of d-metal atoms and cobalt atoms per single crystal.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the carrier material is a refractory metal oxide or precursor thereof.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the d-metal compound is a manganese compound.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the solid solution is in the form of a hydroxide, carbonate, acetate, citrate, nitrate, oxyhydroxide or oxide.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the solid solution comprises a composition selected from the group consisting of (Co,Mn)(OH) 2 , (Co,Mn)(CO 3 ), (Co,Mn)O(OH), (Co,Mn)O, and (Co,Mn) 3 O 4 .

6. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the solid solution comprises (Co,Mn)(OH) 2 .

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the mixture of step (a) is carried out by spray-drying, pressing, and/or extrusion.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein 90% or more of the crystals in the crystalline solid solution comprise 4 to 6 wt % of d-metal.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the admixing step further comprises adding a liquid.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the crystalline solid solution further comprises at least one co-catalyst or precursor thereof.