Conversion of syngas into lower olefins over a hybrid catalyst system

Lower olefins, produced from syngas through Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, has been gaining worldwide attention as a non-petroleum route. However, the process demonstrates limited selectivity for target products. Herein, a hybrid catalyst system utilizing Fe-based catalyst and SAPO-34 was shown to enhance the selectivity toward lower olefins. A comprehensive study was conducted to examine the impact of various operating conditions on catalytic performance, such as space velocity, pressure, and temperature, as well as catalyst combinations, including loading pattern, and mass ratio of metal and zeolite. The findings indicated that the addition of SAPO-34 was beneficial for enhancing catalytic activity. Furthermore, compared with AlPO-34 zeolite, the strong-acid site on SAPO-34 was identified to crack the long-chain hydrocarbons, thus contributing to the lower olefin formation. Nevertheless, an excess of strong-acid sites was found to detrimentally impact the selectivity of lower olefins, attributed to the increased aromatization and polymerization of lower olefins. The detailed analysis of a hybrid catalyst in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis provides a practical strategy for improving lower olefins selectivity, and has broader implications for the application of hybrid catalyst in diverse catalytic systems.