Catalytic synthesis of hydrocarbons

Claim 1

IN THE SYNTHESIS OF HYDROCARBONS, OXYGENATED HYDROCARBONS AND MIXTURES THEREOF WHEREIN A SYNTHESIS GAS COMPRISING A MIXTURE OF HYDROGEN AND CARBON MONOXIDE IS PASSED IN CONTACT WITH AND IRON-CONTAINING HYDROCARBON SYNTHESIS CATALYST UNDER AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE OF 550-700* F. AND SUPERATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE AT WHICH THE REACTANTS ARE SUBSTANTIALLY CONVERTED INTO SAID DESIRED PRODUCTS OF REACTION, THE STEPS OF IMPROVING THE UTILIZATION OF RELATIVELY HYDROGEN-POOR, FRESH FEED SYNTHESIS GAS CONTAINING SAID HYDROGEN AND CARBON MONOXIDE IN THE RELATIVE MOLAR PROPORTIONS IN THE RANGE BETWEEN 0.4:1 AND 0.9:1, WHICH COMPRISE CONTINUOUSLY CONTACTING SAID CATALYST WITH A VOLUME OF SAID FRESH FEED SYNTHESIS GAS IN ADMIXTURE WITH A GREATER VOLUME OF A RECYCLE GAS HEREINBELOW SPECIFIED AND IN FURTHER ADMIXTURE WITH A MOLAR QUANTITY OF WATER VAPOR APPROXIMATING ONE-HALF THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE MOLAR PERCENT OF CARBON MONOXIDE AND THE MOLAR PERCENT OF HYDROGEN IN SAID FRESH FEED SYNTHESIS GAS, WITHDRAWING FROM CONTACT WITH SAID CATALYST A GASEOUS EFFLUENT OF THE PRODUCTS OF REACTION, AND SEPARATING NORMALLY LIQUID PRODUCTS OF REACTION AND CARBON DIOXIDE FROM SAID GASEOUS EFFLUENT TO LEAVE A GASEOUS REDIDUE WHICH IS UTILIZE IN PART AS SAID RECYCLE GAS.