• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.304-310
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• 2010

The FTS(Fischer-Tropsch synthesis) was carried out over precipitated iron-based catalysts with or without $SiO_2$ in a fixed-bed reactor at $250^{\circ}C$ and 1.5 MPa. The catalysts with $SiO_2$ showed much higher catalytic activity for the FTS than those without $SiO_2$, displaying excellent stability during 144 h of reaction. The X-ray diffraction and $N_2$ physisorption revealed that the catalysts with $SiO_2$ showed enhanced dispersion of $Fe_2O_3$ compared with those without $SiO_2$. Also, the results of temperature-programmed reduction by $H_2$ showed that the addition of $SiO_2$ markedly promoted the reduction of $Fe_2O_3$ into $Fe_3O_4$ and FeO at low temperatures below $260^{\circ}C$. In contrast, surface basicity of the catalysts, which was analyzed by temperature-programmed desorption of $CO_2$, decreased as a result of $SiO_2$ addition. We attribute the high and stable performance of the catalysts with $SiO_2$ to the improved dispersion and reducibility by the $SiO_2$ addition.