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Novel Fischer-Tropsch Reactor--CeraMem Corporation, 12 Clematis Avenue, Waltham, MA 02453-7011; 781-899-4495, www.ceramem.com

Dr. Michael Bradford, Principal Investigator, mbradford@ceramem.com 

Dr. Robert L. Goldsmith, Business Official, goldsmith@ceramem.com

DOE Grant No.  DE-FG02-03ER83621

Amount:  $750,000  

In an effort to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign energy sources, considerable investment during the past two decades has been directed toward the economic production of liquid fuels and chemicals from domestic coal and natural gas supplies.  The conversion of coal-derived synthesis gas to clean transportation fuels via Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis (FTS) using iron-based catalysts offers an economically attractive, near-term pathway to this goal.  However, FTS operations using iron catalysts must address the difficulty of separating the catalyst fines from the FTS heavy wax product.   The catalyst/wax separation is one of the most important technical risks of FTS, and may be a fatal flaw with currently available technology.  This project will develop an advanced process for FTS catalyst-wax separation that has the potential to enable the production of clean transportation fuels from synthesis gas derived from hydrogen-deficient feedstocks (such as coal).  Phase I designed, assembled, and successfully operated a bench-scale, advanced monolith membrane filtration loop (AMML), and demonstrated the efficacy of a ceramic ultrafiltration membrane installed in the AMML for the production of near-catalyst-free product wax.  Phase II will: (1) design, construct, and operate a pilot-scale, advanced membrane process system; (2) determine the influences of key process and membrane element variables on system performance; (3) optimize the process for both primary and secondary catalyst/wax separation processes; (4) develop engineering designs for potential commercial installations; and (5) perform economic analyses for each design.

Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by awardee:  The advanced membrane process would find use in the separation of iron-catalyst fines from wax produced from synthesis gas derived from hydrogen-deficient resources, such as coal.  The technology should enable the commercial production of clean transportation fuels from the domestic coal supply at a cost as low as $0.50 per barrel, thereby providing a mechanism to significantly reduce dependence on oil imports.  Other potential applications in the petrochemical industry include the removal of particulate contaminants from amine strippers, the regeneration of used lubricating oils, and the removal of catalyst fines from fluid catalytic cracking oil.