The promotional effects of ZrO2 modification on the activity and selectivity of Co/SiC catalysts for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis

Co/SiC catalysts have exhibited excellent performance in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reaction. However, few research focuses on investigating the effect of SiC supports surface properties of on catalyst performance. In this study, ZrO₂ was utilized to modify the SiC surface, leading to the preparation of a series of Co-ZrO₂/SiC catalysts. The physicochemical properties of the catalyst were comprehensively analyzed by using N₂ adsorption, XRD, H₂-TPR, XPS analyses. Catalytic performance was evaluated using a fixed bed reactor, shedding light on the effect of ZrO₂ modified SiC support on cobalt-based Fischer-Tropsch synthesis catalysts. The results indicated that ZrO₂ surface modification on SiC resulted in an enhanced reduction degree of Co/SiC catalysts. Additionally, ZrO₂ exhibited strong interaction with the amorphous phase on the SiC surface, thereby weakening the interaction between Co and the amorphous phase. This led to an increase in the electron density of cobalt species, consequently improving the selectivity of Co/SiC catalysts towards long-chain hydrocarbons.