Metal oxide catalyzed dehydration of alcohols and metal catalyzed dehydrocyclization are two fields of current and future importance to Fischer-Tropsch refining where Burtron H. Davis made considerable contributions. The impact of these contributions will be illustrated by examples. First example: In the industrial 1-heptene to 1-octene process the ability to guarantee high n-1-alkene selectivity is commercially important. This conversion involves 1-octanol as intermediate. Loss of 1-octene selectivity during dehydration over gamma-alumina can be explained using his work as a basis, which also provides suggestions for alternative catalysts to overcome this problem. Second example: In order to produce diesel fuel from low temperature Fischer-Tropsch syncrude that meets European specifications, the density must be increased. The cycloalkanes is the only compound class that will enable this without significant cetane number loss. His work on dehydrocyclization catalysis provides pointers for the development of catalysts to selectively enable this transformation with high selectivity.

Advances in the catalysis of Fischer–Tropsch refining made possible by Burtron H. Davis

245th National Meeting (2013)

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