Abstract
A new Langmuir–Hinshelwood–Hougen–Watson (LHHW) type kinetic model is developed for carbon dioxide hydrogenation over a precipitated Fe/Cu/K catalyst in a continuous spinning basket reactor. A number of possible reaction sets originating from the combination of the formate mechanism for the water gas shift reaction and the enolic mechanism for the Fischer–Tropsch synthesis, with various rate determining steps, are considered. The results show that the CO2 hydrogenation process is limited by the reaction between surface CO and hydrogen species to form enolic (HCO) units. This surface reaction is the key reaction step in producing higher hydrocarbons by the Fischer–Tropsch synthesis.
