Preconditioning hydrocarbon synthesis catalyst

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR THE SYNTHESIS OF ORGANIC COMPOUNDS FROM CARBON MONOXIDE-HYDROGEN MIXTURES IN WHICH SAID MIXTURES ARE CONTACTED WITH A FINELY DIVIDED FLUIDIZED CATALYST HAVING A HIGH INITIAL ACTIVITY, THE METHOD OF MODIFYING SUCH INITIAL ACTIVITY WHICH COMPRISES CONTACTING SAID CATALYST FOR A PERIOD LIMITED TO FROM 5 TO 15 HOURS WITH A SYNTHESIS GAS COMPRISING CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN AT A SYNTHESIS REACTION TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF BETWEEN 180* C. AND 340* C. BASED UPON A PARTICULAR CATALYST UTILIZED, AT A PRESSURE NOT OVER FIVE ATMOSPHERES AND A SPACE VELOCITY OF SAID SYNTHESIS GAS LOWER THAN THAT REQUIRED TO EFFECT THE SYNTHESIS REACTION UNDER THE CONDITIONS USED, AND GRADUALLY INCREASING SAID PRESSURE AND SPACE VELOCITY AS THE INITIAL ACTIVITY OF SAID CATALYST DECREASES UNTIL A PRESSURE AND A SPACE VELOCITY ARE ATTAINED AT WHICH THE SYNTHESIS REACTION IS EFFECTED.