Catalyst useful in fisher-tropsch synthesis

1. A catalyst composition comprising:

cobalt; manganese; and at least one element selected from the group of lanthanum and phosphorus,

wherein the relative molar ratios of the elements comprised in the composition are represented by the formula

CoMn a La b P c M d O x

wherein:

M is one or more elements selected from the group consisting of alkali metal, alkaline earth metal and transition metal;

a is about 0.8-1.2;

b is 0 to about 0.005;

c is greater than 0 to about 0.005;

d is 0 to about 0.005; and

x is a number determined by the valence requirements of the other elements present, wherein the catalyst is unsupported.

2. The catalyst according to claim 1 , wherein d is greater than 0 to about 0.005 and wherein M is selected from the group consisting of sodium (Na), potassium (K), rubidium (Rb), cesium (Cs), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), strontium (Sr), barium (Ba), titanium (Ti) and zirconium (Zr).

3. The catalyst composition according to claim 2 , comprising cobalt; manganese; lanthanum; phosphorus, and M, wherein: b is greater than 0 to about 0.005; c is greater than 0 to about 0.005; and d is greater than 0 to about 0.005, and wherein M is selected from the group consisting of Na, K, Rb, Cs, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Ti, and Zr.

4. The catalyst composition according to claim 2 , comprising cobalt; manganese; lanthanum; phosphorus, and M, wherein: b is greater than 0 to about 0.005; c is greater than 0 to about 0.005; and d is greater than 0 to about 0.005 and wherein M is selected from the group consisting of Na, K, and Cs.

5. The catalyst composition according to claim 2 , comprising cobalt; manganese; lanthanum; phosphorus, and M, wherein: b is greater than 0 to about 0.005; c is greater than 0 to about 0.005; and d is greater than 0 to about 0.005, and wherein M is K.

6. The catalyst composition according to claim 2 , wherein c is greater than 0 to about 0.005, and wherein M is K.

7. The catalyst composition according to claim 1 , comprising cobalt; manganese; lanthanum; and phosphorus, wherein: b is greater than 0 to about 0.005; and c is greater than 0 to about 0.005.

8. The catalyst composition according to claim 1 , wherein the catalyst composition further comprises a binder selected from the group consisting of silica, alumina, titania, zirconium, carbon and zeolite.

9. The catalyst composition according to claim 1 , wherein the catalyst composition has a decreased selectivity for the production of CO 2 and CH 4 as compared to a comparative CoMnO x catalyst composition without the La and/or P.

10. A method for preparing the catalyst composition according to claim 1 , comprising:

(a) preparing a solution of cobalt- and manganese-comprising salts to form a cobalt-manganese-solution;

(b) admixing an alkaline solution to the cobalt- manganese-solution to form a precipitate;

(c) admixing a solution of a phosphorus-comprising salt; and optionally a solution of a lanthanum-comprising salt to the solution comprising the precipitate to form a modified precipitate;

(d) separating the modified precipitate from the liquid, washing and drying the modified precipitate to form a dried precipitate;

(e) calcining the dried precipitate in air to form a calcined catalyst precursor; and

(f) contacting the calcined catalyst precursor with a reducing agent.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the reducing agent is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen (H 2 ) and carbon monoxide (CO).

12. The process according to claim 10 , wherein admixing the solution of the phosphorus-comprising salt and optionally the solution of the lanthanum-comprising salt with the precipitate further comprises admixing a solution of a salt comprising one or more elements selected from the group consisting of alkali metal elements, alkaline earth metal elements and transition metal elements.

13. A process for producing a product stream comprising: contacting the catalyst composition as defined in claim 1 with a syngas mixture to produce a mixture of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons.

14. The process according to claim 13 , wherein the product stream is produced by Fischer-Tropsch synthesis.

15. The process according to claim 14 , wherein the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis is performed at a reaction temperature of about 150-350° C., a space velocity of about 400-5000 h −1 and a pressure of between atmospheric and about 5 MPa.

16. The process according to claim 13 , wherein the catalyst composition is in a fixed bed reactor or fluidized bed reactor.

17. The process according to claim 13 , wherein the syngas mixture has a hydrogen (H 2 ) to carbon monoxide (CO) molar ratio of about 1-4.