REGENERATION OF SUPPORTED CATALYSTS FOR CARBON MONOXIDE HYDROGENATION

摘要

There is provided a process for renewing the activity of used, supported met al catalysts for the hydrogenation of carbon monoxide to form a mixture of hydrocarbons comprising decreasing the hydrocarbon content of the catalyst, impregnating said catalyst under an non-oxidative atmosphere with a solution at least one weak organic acid, preferably a mono- or di-carboxylic acid, to the point where it has absorbed a volume of said solution equal to at least about 10% of its calculated pore volume, oxidizing the catalyst with a gaseo us oxidant in the presence of the impregnating solution and activating the catalyst by reduction with hydrogen at elevated temperatures. Optionally, th e catalyst is calcined after the oxidation step, and passivated after the activation step. A preferred means of decreasing the hydrocarbon content of the catalyst is contacting it with a hydrogen-containing gas at elevated temperatures.