Experimental study on plasma-catalytic synthesis of hydrocarbons from syngas

Abstract : This paper is dedicated to the experimental study of FTS synthesis via a non-thermal plasma-catalytic pathway under ambient conditions. In our study, a vertical tubular DBD reactor containing packed catalysts was established with its analytical apparatus. Different Co/SiO2 aerogel catalysts were synthesized by ambient drying method and then characterized. The variable studies were conducted without packing, and then the performance of the catalysts was evaluated. The results indicate that a considerable concentration of C1 to C5 hydrocarbons were synthesized at ambient conditions with relatively low specific input energies (below 18 kJ/L). Moreover, the Co/SiO2 aerogel catalysts can promote not only the synthesis of C2-C5 hydrocarbons rather than CH4 and CO2 but also the formation of liquid organic oxides. The possible reaction pathways of the non-thermal plasma promoted FTS associated with catalysis were proposed. The work demonstrates a new approach of FTS and broadens the field of further improvement on FTS.