Probing the Roles of Residual Sodium in Physicochemical Properties and Performance of FeAlNa Catalyst for Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis

Although Fe-based catalysts have made significant progress in Fischer–Tropsch synthesis, the effect of residual sodium on the structural properties and catalytic performance of Fe-based catalysts has been controversial. Herein, we report the positive role of residual sodium in the structural properties and performance of FeAlNa catalysts for olefins synthesis from syngas. Meanwhile, the as-prepared catalysts were characterized by the multiple characterization technique to reveal the positive role of residual sodium on the structural properties. The characterization results revealed that the residual sodium improved the reduction behavior of Fe species and adsorption ability of CO, and inhibited the secondary hydrogenation due to its weak adsorption ability of H2. Moreover, the residual sodium inhibited the interaction between Fe and Al. Importantly, a high olefins/paraffins ratio of 6.19 and low CH4 selectivity of 12.8% were achieved on the residual sodium modified FeAlNa catalyst. An in-depth understanding of the structural properties and catalytic performance of residual sodium on FeAl-based catalysts can provide a theoretical basis for the development of novel efficient catalysts and large-scale applications for olefins synthesis from syngas.