Liquid hydrocarbon synthesis using supported ruthenium catalysts

Claim 1

A process for selectively producing paraffins comprising: (a) first contacting a mixture of H 2 and CO for at least 10 hours with a reduced and supported ruthenium catalyst, said ruthenium catalyst comprising ruthenium on a support selected from the group consisting of TiO 2 , ZrTiO 4 , TiO 2 -carbon, TiO 2 -Al 2 O 3 , TiO 2 -SiO 2 , alkaline earth titanates, alkali titanates, rare earth titanates, V 2 O 3 , Nb 2 O 5 , Ta 2 O 5 , Al 2 O 3 -V 2 O 3 , Al 2 O 3 -Nb 2 O 5 , Al 2 O 3 -Ta 2 O 5 , SiO 2 -V 2 O 3 , SiO 2 -Nb 2 O 5 , SiO 2 -Ta 2 O 5 , V 2 O 3 -carbon, Nb 2 O 5 -carbon, Ta 2 O 5 -carbon, alkaline earth Group VB oxides, alkali-Group VB oxides, rare earth-Group VB oxides, Group IVB-Group VB oxides, and mixtures thereof, at Fischer-Tropsch conditions such that the temperature ranges from about 100° to 400° C., the pressure ranges from about 0.2 to 10 MPaA, the gas hourly space velocity, GHSV, ranges from about 100 to 50,000 v/v/hr., and wherein the ratio of GHSV/pressure is below about 24,000 v/v/hr./MPaA, and at least about a 20% CO conversion is effected; and (b) continuing said contacting as in step (a) at a H 2 /CO molar ratio from about 0.1 to 4 and thereafter recovering a hydrocarbon mixture comprising C 5 -C 40 hydrocarbons, containing C 5 -C 20 paraffins and olefins in a paraffins to olefins weight ratio of at least about 1.5.