Treating of catalyst support

1. A method for the preparation of a Fischer-Tropsch catalyst precursor comprising:

forming a modified catalyst support by the steps of:

a) treating a catalyst support material with an aqueous solution or dispersion comprising a metal source and one or more polar organic compounds, wherein the metal source comprises one or more of a zirconium metal source, a chromium metal source, a manganese metal source and an aluminium metal source; and

b) drying the treated support;

c) and optionally calcining the treated support; and

forming the Fischer-Tropsch catalyst precursor using the modified catalyst support by depositing a solution or suspension comprising at least one catalyst metal precursor and a complexing/reducing agent onto the modified catalyst support.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal source comprises two or more different metals.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

d) treating the modified catalyst support obtained in step b), or optionally obtained in step c), with a further aqueous solution or dispersion comprising a metal source and one or more polar organic compounds, wherein the metal source comprises a different metal to the metal in the metal source comprised in step a); and

e) drying the treated support of step d);

f) and optionally calcining the treated support.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the metal source in the further aqueous solution or dispersion used in step d) comprises one or more of a zirconium metal source, a manganese metal source, a chromium metal source, an aluminium metal source or a titanium metal source.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein prior to step a) the catalyst support material undergoes steps comprising:

d) treating the catalyst support with a further aqueous solution or dispersion comprising a metal source and one or more polar organic compounds, wherein the metal source comprises a different metal to the metal in the metal source comprised in step a); and

e) drying the treated support of step d);

f) and optionally calcining the treated support.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method of treating is impregnating.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal source in step a) comprises one or both of a zirconium metal source and a chromium metal source.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal source in step a) comprises a zirconium metal source.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the zirconium metal source in step a) is zirconium dinitrate oxide hydrate.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal source in step a) comprises a chromium metal source.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the chromium metal source in step a) is chromium (III) nitrate nonahydrate.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal source in step a) comprises a manganese metal source.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the manganese metal source is manganese (II) nitrate tetrahydrate.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal source in step a) comprises an aluminium metal source.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the aluminium metal source is aluminium nitrate.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polar organic compound in step a) is a carboxylic acid.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the carboxylic acid is citric acid.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the carboxylic acid is lactic acid.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polar organic compound in step d) is a carboxylic acid.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the carboxylic acid is citric acid.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the carboxylic acid is lactic acid.

22. The method of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst support material is a refractory oxide.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the refractory oxide is silica.

24. The method of claim 1 , wherein the modified catalyst support is a modified Fischer-Tropsch catalyst support.

25. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the Fischer-Tropsch catalyst precursor further comprises:

optionally drying the modified catalyst support onto which the solution or suspension has been deposited; and

calcining the modified catalyst support onto which the solution or suspension has been deposited.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the calcination is carried out in an oxygen-containing atmosphere.

27. A Fischer-Tropsch catalyst precursor produced in accordance with the method of claim 25 .

28. A Fischer-Tropsch catalyst comprising the activated catalyst precursor of claim 27 .

29. A method for conducting a Fischer-Tropsch reaction comprising catalyzing reactants in the presence of the Fischer-Tropsch catalyst of claim 28 to catalyse a Fischer-Tropsch reaction.

30. A method of conducting a Fischer Tropsch reaction comprising using the Fischer-Tropsch catalyst of claim 28 in a microchannel reactor, in which the performance of the catalyst is substantially maintained over a reaction period of about 5000 hours or more without regeneration of the catalyst, such that the contact time is less than 500 milliseconds, the CO conversion is greater than 50% and the methane selectivity is less than 15%.

31. The method of claim 30 , wherein the CO conversion is greater than 60%.

32. The method of claim 30 , wherein the methane selectivity is less than 10%.

33. The method of claim 30 , wherein the reaction period is about 8000 hours or more.

34. The method of claim 30 , wherein the microchannel reactor comprises one or more heat exchange channels adjacent to and/or in thermal contact with one or more process microchannels.

35. The method of claim 30 , wherein the microchannel reactor is capable of high heat flux for cooling of process microchannels during the Fischer Tropsch reaction such that the temperature of a reactant composition at the entrance to the process microchannels is within about 200° C. of the temperature of a product at the exit of the process microchannels.

36. A method of conducting a Fischer Tropsch reaction comprising using the Fischer-Tropsch catalyst of claim 28 in a microchannel reactor in a temperature range of from about 180° C. to about 230° C., in which the deactivation rate of the catalyst measured as percent loss of CO conversion per day is 0.09% or less over a reaction period of about 5000 hours or more.

37. A method of conducting a Fischer Tropsch reaction comprising using a catalyst derived from the Fischer-Tropsch catalyst precursor according to claim 27 in a microchannel reactor, in which the performance of the catalyst is substantially maintained over a reaction period of about 5000 hours or more without regeneration of the catalyst, such that the contact time is less than 500 milliseconds, the CO conversion is greater than 50% and the methane selectivity is less than 15%.

38. A method of conducting a Fischer Tropsch reaction comprising using a catalyst derived from the Fischer-Tropsch catalyst precursor according to claim 27 in a microchannel reactor in a temperature range of from about 180° C. to about 230° C., in which the deactivation rate of the catalyst measured as percent loss of CO conversion per day is 0.09% or less over a reaction period of about 5000 hours or more.

39. The method of claim 1 , wherein the complexing/reducing agent comprises one or more carboxylic acids.

40. The method of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst metal precursor is a cobalt-containing precursor.

41. The method of claim 40 , wherein the cobalt-containing precursor is cobalt nitrate.

42. The method of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst metal precursor comprises cobalt nitrate.

43. The method of claim 1 , wherein the formed Fischer-Tropsch catalyst precursor comprises at least 35 wt % Co.

44. The method of claim 43 , wherein the at least 35 wt % Co is at least partially in the form of Co 3 O 4 .

45. The method of claim 44 , wherein the numerical average particle diameter of the Co 3 O 4 is 8 nm to 10 nm.