2009 Spring Symposium
Stuart Soled
Exxon Mobil Research and Engineering Co.
Annandale, NJ 08801 USA
Abstract — With the resurgent interest in Fischer-Tropsch catalysis, it is important to understand any catalyst changes that can occur during the synthesis. In this presentation we report on three intrinsic modes of deactivation that have been observed in studies of experimental supported Co catalysts. These include reversible surface oxidation, irreversible mixed metal oxide formation, and cobalt particle growth. Techniques to monitor these changes are presented as well as some hypotheses regarding the mechanisms that are responsible for them.
Speaker’s Biography — Stu Soled received his Ph.D in chemistry focused primarily on x-ray crystallography from Brown University in 1973. He then did 4 year of post-doctoral work in solid state chemistry both at Brown University and in France, focusing on the synthesis and characterization of novel oxide and sulfide materials. He has been at Exxon’s Corporate Research Labs for more than 28 years. His research interests lie in the synthesis, characterization and evaluation of novel catalytic materials. He has worked extensively on Fischer-Tropsch chemistry, solid acid and metal catalysis, and hydrotreating. He is the coauthor of more than 70 publications and 80 U.S. patents. He is credited with the discovery of the Nebula catalyst and has worked on a joint ExxonMobil-Albemarle team to bring it to commercial reality. Nebula has been producing low sulfur diesel fuels in over a dozen refinery units worldwide. He is the recipient of the New York Catalysis Society Excellence in Catalysis Award, the North American Catalysis Society Frank Ciapetta Lectureship Award, the American Chemical Society Northeast Division Industrial Innovation Award and the ACS Heroes in Chemistry Award.