Patent ID: 6903141

Claim:
A continuous catalytic process for the conversion of synthesis gas into hydrocarbon liquids and wax, including the separation of wax from catalyst particles by gravity sedimentation, comprising: contacting a feedstream comprising synthesis gas with a slurry of saturated hydrocarbon liquid arid skeletal iron catalyst particles in a reactor under conditions sufficient to convert the synthesis gas feedstream into by-product gases, light C 1 -C 4 hydrocarbon gases, C 5 + hydrocarbon liquids and hydrocarbon wax, the skeletal iron catalyst particles having a skeletal structure formed by leaching a portion of metal from precursor particles; separating the by-product gases, light hydrocarbon gases and C 5 + hydrocarbon liquids, excluding wax, as a reactor vapor overhead stream for separation and recovery of C 5 + hydrocarbon liquid products; passing a reactor liquid slurry overflow stream rich in suspended skeletal iron catalyst particles and wax into a catalyst nettling drum through a reactor overflow line under conditions sufficient to separate catalyst particles and wax, wherein the skeletal iron catalyst particles in the overflow stream concentrate in a bottom portion of the drum by gravity sedimentation as a concentrated slurry of catalyst particles and hydrocarbon wax; withdrawing a catalyst settling drum side-draw stream essentially free of catalyst particles from an upper portion or the drum and recovering wax product therefrom; and passing a catalyst settling drum bottom stream rich in catalyst particles into a bottom portion of the reactor as a skeletal iron catalyst recycle stream.