Patent ID: 6476086
Filing Date: 2002-11-05
Classification: B01D,C10G,Y10S

Abstract:
A method for separating iron-based catalyst fines from hydrocarbon liquid/wax/catalyst slurry for Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) synthesis processes, comprising the steps of:(a) providing in a pressurable container a slurry of iron-based catalyst fines and hydrocarbon liquid/wax product obtained from a F-T synthesis process, said catalyst fines having particle size smaller than about 100 micron; (b) mixing said catalyst/liquid/wax slurry with an aqueous treating solution, said solution including an interfacial tension reducing component, an agglutinating component and a catalyst coalescing component, with the volume ratio of said treating solution to the catalyst/wax slurry being 0.5-5:1; (c) maintaining in said pressurizable container catalyst mixing and settling conditions of 10-250Â° C. temperature and 0-500 psig pressure sufficient to maintain said treating solution in liquid form, and for sufficient time after said mixing to provide coalescence enhanced separation and gravity settling of at least about 90% of the catalyst fines in said container bottom portion; and (d) removing overhead from said container a hydrocarbon product stream, and withdrawing said treating solution and the resulting settled catalyst fines from said container lower portion.