Fischer-Tropsch synthesis is the established catalytic route for converting synthesis gas (CO + H₂) into liquid hydrocarbon fuels and chemicals, serving as the core technology in coal-to-liquids (CTL), gas-to-liquids (GTL), biomass-to-liquids (BTL), waste-to-liquids (WtL), and emerging power-to-liquids (PtL) facilities worldwide.

Coverage includes:

• Process fundamentals: Reaction chemistry, Anderson-Schulz-Flory product distribution kinetics, operating regimes (LTFT 200–240 °C, HTFT 300–350 °C), selectivity control and catalyst systems (iron vs cobalt).​
• Reactor technologies: Multitubular fixed-bed, slurry bubble column, fluidized-bed and microchannel designs with heat management strategies and scale-up considerations.​
• Product upgrading: fractionation, hydrotreating and hydrocracking/isomerization pathways to convert broad FT product slates into market-specification diesel, jet fuel, gasoline and specialty waxes.​
• Commercial technologies: Overview of major licensed processes including Sasol LTFT™/SPD™, Shell SMDS, Johnson Matthey/BP FT CANS™, Topsoe/Sasol G2L™, Velocys microFTL™, and Synfuels China slurry-phase systems, with deployment examples and scale ranges.​
• Historical and market context: From 1925 patent and WWII-era German plants through South African CTL complexes to current sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel projects.

This resource provides a feedstock- and licensor-agnostic foundation for technology selection, feasibility assessment, process integration and techno-economic evaluation across the FT value chain.

Relevant for chemical process engineers, refinery planners, synthetic fuels developers, technology evaluators and researchers working in alternative liquid fuels, carbon utilization and sustainability pathways.

#fischertropsch  #syntheticfuels  #coaltoliquids  #gastoliquids  #refining  #sustainableaviationfuel  #processengineering  #sustainability  #sasol  #johnsonmatthey  #axens  #topsoe  #shell  #velocys  #toyoengineering  #bp  #synfuelschina  #sinopec