Patent ID: 7605187

Claim:
A process for temporarily interrupting a Fischer-Tropsch type reaction carried out on a feed comprising at least carbon monoxide and hydrogen in a three-phase reaction zone comprising a liquid phase, a gas phase and solid catalyst particles maintained in suspension, said process comprising a step a) for interrupting the reaction and a step b) for restarting said reaction, during which the solid catalyst particles are maintained in suspension in the reaction zone; a) during the step for interrupting the reaction, supply of the feed is stopped; and a blanket of an inhibiting gas comprising less than 1% by volume of hydrogen and at least 5% by volume of at least one inhibiting compound selected from the group formed by carbon monoxide and water is established; and b) during the reaction restart step: in the reaction zone, a blanket of an activating gas with a hydrogen content of at least 20% by volume is established; and supply of the feed is restarted.