Publication: Accelerated Catalyst Testing for Synthesis Gas Based Reactions

Authors: Carsten Knobloch, Alfred Haas, Torsten Kaltschmitt

DGMK Conference October 7 – 9, 2015, Dresden, Germany

In this contribution a review of the High Throughput Experimentation (HTE) technology platform for synthesis gas conversion processes is presented with the focus on Fischer– Tropsch synthesis (FTS) catalyst research and development (R&D). The workflow solutions developed by hte GmbH (hte) in the last 15 years comprise a rigid quality control program for FTS catalysts with an emphasis on accuracy and precision of feed conversion and product formation rates as well as measuring intrinsic kinetics at isothermal conditions or macro kinetics under semi-adiabatic process control in an 8-fold parallel sub-pilot plant. Besides the catalyst testing of powders and fully shaped commercial FTS catalysts at scales from 1 to 100 mL catalyst volumes in parallel fixed-bed reactors the development of a data management system was the key prerequisite to accelerate time to market in various synthesis gas conversion and other catalytic processes. Integration of all catalyst descriptor information, process control and all on-line / off-line analytical data has been realized in a “Lab 4.0” at hte.