The use of transition metal catalysts - either homogeneous (discrete well-defined metal complexes) or heterogeneous (more poorly-defined metal surfaces) - play an important role in the transformations of small substrates into larger, value-added compounds. Although heterogeneous catalysts have the greater industrial applicability, there has been enormous interest in homogeneous transition metal systems for effecting selective transformations of small substrate molecules. The bulk of these homogeneous systems are mononuclear. Perhaps surprisingly, very little research has focuses on systems with adjacent metal centres. Binuclear systems possess adjacent metals that may interact and possibly lead to transformations not observed in monometallic systems. It is this opportunity for adjacent metal involvement in substrate activation that is the focus of this dissertation. the goal of this research is to gain an increased understanding of metal-metal cooperativity and adjacent metal involvement in substrate transformations; how can adjacent metal involvement lead to substrate activation not seen in monometallic counterparts, and what role does each metal play in these interactions, particularly when the two metals are different. Throughout this dissertation examples of transformation unique to systems with at least two metals are presented and examined with a particular focus on the roles of the two metals and any associated binding modes in these transformations. In addition, by comparing the RhOs, RhRu and IrRu systems, the influence of metal substitution is also examined. For example, diazoalkane activation and C-c bond formation promoted by the Rh-based systems is investigated, the roles of the adjacent metals of the IrRu system in the conversion of methylene groups to oxygenates is examined, and the unusual geminal C-H bond activation of olefinic substrates is explored. Overall, the work presented within this thesis adds to the growing understanding of adjacent metal cooperativety, leading us toward a more rational approach to the design of homogeneous homo- and heterobimetallic catalysts, heterogeneous catalyst and nanoparticle catalysts for selective substrate transformations.

This study focuses on upgrading biomass derived syngas for the synthesis of liquid fuels using Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS). The process includes novel gasification of biomass via a tri-reforming process which involves a synergetic combination of CO2 reforming, steam reforming, and partial oxidation of methane. Typical biomass-derived syngas H2:CO is 1:1 and contains tars that deactivate FT catalyst. This innovation allows for cost-effective one-step production of syngas in the required H2:CO of 2:1 with reduction of tars for use in the FTS. To maximize the performance of the tri-reforming catalyst, an attempt to control oxygen mobility, thermal stability, dispersion of metal, resistance to coke formation, and strength of metal interaction with support is investigated by varying catalyst synthesis parameters. These synthesis variables include Ce and Zr mixed oxide support ratios, amount Mg and Ni loading, and the preparation of the catalyst. Reaction conditions were also varied to determine the influences reaction temperature, gas composition, and GHSV have on the catalyst performance. Testing under controlled reaction conditions and the use of several catalyst characterization techniques (BET, XRD, TPR, XAFS, SEM-EDS, XPS) were employed to better explain the effects of the synthesis parameters. Applications of the resulting data were used to design proof of concept solar powered BTL plant. This paper highlights the performance of the tri-reforming catalyst under various reaction conditions and explains results using catalyst characterization.

No description available.

In this study, the feasibility of a NaA zeolite membrane for the gas phase separation of steam and hydrogen mixtures was determined. The Fischer-Tropsch (FT) process, which produces high value fuels and chemicals from coal and natural gas, can be greatly improved upon by the selective removal of water from the FT reactor product stream. According to the FT reaction kinetics, the rate of reaction increases with the partial pressure of hydrogen but is adversely affected the presence of water in the reactor product stream. Chemisorbed water on the surface of the metal catalysts also enhances deactivation due to sintering and fouling. The use of a zeolite membrane reactor is well equipped to serve the purpose of in-situ water removal as it can facilitate the separation of chemical components from one another in the presence of catalytic reactions. The LTA type zeolite membrane NaA or zeolite 4A, in particular, is well suited for the separation of polar (H2O) from non-polar (H2) molecules because of its high hydrophilicity. NaA has also been identified as an excellent candidate for selective water removal applications due its high adsorption affinity and capacity for water. The NaA membrane used in this study was manufactured by means of the in-situ crystallisation method where the growth of crystals on the inside surface of a centrifugally casted a-alumina support was favoured. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses performed on the membrane after a double hydrothermal synthesis indicated that the surface topology was rough and that the zeolite crystals formed were not uniform in size. Overall, the membrane thickness varied between 6.5 and 8.0 flm. An evaluation of the membrane quality was made possible through permeation experiments involving SF6 and Hz. The calculated Hz/SF6 permselectivity in this study was found to be 9.78, which despite being higher than the Knudsen diffusion selectivity of 8.54, confirmed the presence of intercrystalline defects or non-zeolitic pores in the membrane. Experiments concerning pure component and binary mixture permeation of steam and hydrogen through the supported NaA membrane were conducted over a temperature range of 115°C to 160 °c for binary hydrogen/steam mixtures, 25°C to 160°C for pure hydrogen and 130°C to 170°C for pure steam. For the permeation of pure component hydrogen, a local maximum in its permeance having a value of 224 x 10'°8 mol.m,z.s'!.Pa'! was reached at a system pressure and temperature of 6.875 bar and 75°C respectively. For the permeation of pure component steam through NaA, the effects of capillary condensation in the pores and defects of the zeolite membrane resulted in a decrease in steam permeance as a function of absolute pressure for temperatures lower than 160 °c. Once the effects of capillary condensation had receded, maxima in the steam permeances as a function of temperature corresponding to values of 70 x 10,08, 65 X 10,08 and 75 x 10,08 mol.m•2.s'I.Pa'l were found for the 182.5, 197.5 and 222.5 kPa isobars respectively. These observations collaborated well with the description of surface diffusion with permeation taking place in the Langmuir (strong adsorption) regime. Permeation experiments through NaA as function of temperature were conducted for a 90 mol% steam -10 mol% hydrogen (90-10) binary mixture as well as for a 60-40 mixture of these two. At low temperatures the permeation of hydrogen was completely suppressed by the condensed steam resulting in an almost perfect separation. The Kelvin equation was used to estimate the pore size of the defects which was found to range between 1.86 and 2.45 nm. The temperature range over which these defects in the membrane were assumed to become unblocked (i.e. assuming when the first breakthrough of hydrogen occurred), were determined to be between 140 to 148 °c and between 128 to 130 °c for the 90-10 and 60-40 mixtures respectively. The mixture selectivities (towards water) between 115 °c and 130 °c were found to be immensely high (much greater than 1000) for both the 90-10 and 60-40 mixtures, while the ideal selectivities were calculated to be less than lover the same temperature range. At 140 °c, the selectivity towards water for the 9010 mixture was still greater than 1000; however for the 60-40 mixture at this temperature, an inversion of selectivity towards H2 had already taken place. The breakthrough in H2 permeance occurs at a much lower temperature when the feed mixture contains a lower concentration of water. Since the partial pressure of steam will be reduced, larger pores will become unblocked at lower temperatures according to the Kelvin equation. / Thesis (M. Ing. (Chemical Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

In this study, the feasibility of a NaA zeolite membrane for the gas phase separation of steam and hydrogen mixtures was determined. The Fischer-Tropsch (FT) process, which produces high value fuels and chemicals from coal and natural gas, can be greatly improved upon by the selective removal of water from the FT reactor product stream. According to the FT reaction kinetics, the rate of reaction increases with the partial pressure of hydrogen but is adversely affected the presence of water in the reactor product stream. Chemisorbed water on the surface of the metal catalysts also enhances deactivation due to sintering and fouling. The use of a zeolite membrane reactor is well equipped to serve the purpose of in-situ water removal as it can facilitate the separation of chemical components from one another in the presence of catalytic reactions. The LTA type zeolite membrane NaA or zeolite 4A, in particular, is well suited for the separation of polar (H2O) from non-polar (H2) molecules because of its high hydrophilicity. NaA has also been identified as an excellent candidate for selective water removal applications due its high adsorption affinity and capacity for water. The NaA membrane used in this study was manufactured by means of the in-situ crystallisation method where the growth of crystals on the inside surface of a centrifugally casted a-alumina support was favoured. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses performed on the membrane after a double hydrothermal synthesis indicated that the surface topology was rough and that the zeolite crystals formed were not uniform in size. Overall, the membrane thickness varied between 6.5 and 8.0 flm. An evaluation of the membrane quality was made possible through permeation experiments involving SF6 and Hz. The calculated Hz/SF6 permselectivity in this study was found to be 9.78, which despite being higher than the Knudsen diffusion selectivity of 8.54, confirmed the presence of intercrystalline defects or non-zeolitic pores in the membrane. Experiments concerning pure component and binary mixture permeation of steam and hydrogen through the supported NaA membrane were conducted over a temperature range of 115°C to 160 °c for binary hydrogen/steam mixtures, 25°C to 160°C for pure hydrogen and 130°C to 170°C for pure steam. For the permeation of pure component hydrogen, a local maximum in its permeance having a value of 224 x 10'°8 mol.m,z.s'!.Pa'! was reached at a system pressure and temperature of 6.875 bar and 75°C respectively. For the permeation of pure component steam through NaA, the effects of capillary condensation in the pores and defects of the zeolite membrane resulted in a decrease in steam permeance as a function of absolute pressure for temperatures lower than 160 °c. Once the effects of capillary condensation had receded, maxima in the steam permeances as a function of temperature corresponding to values of 70 x 10,08, 65 X 10,08 and 75 x 10,08 mol.m•2.s'I.Pa'l were found for the 182.5, 197.5 and 222.5 kPa isobars respectively. These observations collaborated well with the description of surface diffusion with permeation taking place in the Langmuir (strong adsorption) regime. Permeation experiments through NaA as function of temperature were conducted for a 90 mol% steam -10 mol% hydrogen (90-10) binary mixture as well as for a 60-40 mixture of these two. At low temperatures the permeation of hydrogen was completely suppressed by the condensed steam resulting in an almost perfect separation. The Kelvin equation was used to estimate the pore size of the defects which was found to range between 1.86 and 2.45 nm. The temperature range over which these defects in the membrane were assumed to become unblocked (i.e. assuming when the first breakthrough of hydrogen occurred), were determined to be between 140 to 148 °c and between 128 to 130 °c for the 90-10 and 60-40 mixtures respectively. The mixture selectivities (towards water) between 115 °c and 130 °c were found to be immensely high (much greater than 1000) for both the 90-10 and 60-40 mixtures, while the ideal selectivities were calculated to be less than lover the same temperature range. At 140 °c, the selectivity towards water for the 9010 mixture was still greater than 1000; however for the 60-40 mixture at this temperature, an inversion of selectivity towards H2 had already taken place. The breakthrough in H2 permeance occurs at a much lower temperature when the feed mixture contains a lower concentration of water. Since the partial pressure of steam will be reduced, larger pores will become unblocked at lower temperatures according to the Kelvin equation. / Thesis (M. Ing. (Chemical Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

Liquid transportation fuels can be produced by gasification of carbon containing biomass to syngas( a gaseous mixture of CO and H2) with subsequent conversion of the syngas to fuels. One possible process is the so called mixed alcohols synthesis, which produces a mixture of ethanol and higher alcohols. Another possible process is the reaction of syngas to Fischer-Tropsch liquids, mainly diesel fuel. This study examines the economics of syngas, ethanol and diesel fuel production from lignocellulosic biomass (southern pine residues). The process is modeled with Aspen Plus, a process simulation software package. The process is simulated for plant sizes between 715 and 2205 dry tons/day. The feedstock moisture content is varied between 20% and 50% and the feedstock costs are varied between $30/dry ton and $80/dry ton. The influences of the examined variables on the minimum product selling price are determined. The economic effects of an integration of the mixed alcohols and the FT diesel process with a kraft mill are also evaluated.

Thesis (Ph.D.(Chemistry))--University of Pretoria, 2004. / Includes summary. Also available online.

Submitted by Johnny Rodrigues (johnnyrodrigues@ufcg.edu.br) on 2018-03-23T19:48:20Z No. of bitstreams: 1 JOCIELYS JOVELINO RODRIGUES - TESE PPGEQ 2015..pdf: 2539318 bytes, checksum: 88878182929175962ca411ac34f42556 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-03-23T19:48:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 JOCIELYS JOVELINO RODRIGUES - TESE PPGEQ 2015..pdf: 2539318 bytes, checksum: 88878182929175962ca411ac34f42556 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015 / Capes / Este trabalho teve como objetivo, desenvolver peneiras moleculares utilizando fontes de sílica convencional (TEOS) e alternativa (cinza da casca de arroz), utilizá-las como suportes para catalisadores de Cobalto destinados à síntese de FischerTropsch, e também, investigar o efeito da introdução de rutênio como promotor na reação acima mencionada. Preparou-se a SBA-15 a partir de um gel com composição molar: 1.0 FONTE DE SÍLICA: 0.017 P123: 5.7 HCl: 193 H2O. Os catalisadores foram preparados pelo processo de impregnação úmida utilizando solução de 0,1 M de (Co(NO3)2.6H2O). Na sequência, foi incorporado o promotor rutênio usando solução aquosa de 0,1M de Cloreto de Rutênio (RuCl3xH2O). As amostras foram caracterizadas por DRX, EDX, TG/ATD, MEV, MET, RTP e adsorção física de N2. A reação de Fischer-Tropsch foi conduzida em reator leito de lama durante 6 horas de reação a 240oC e pressão de 20 bar, utilizando uma relação molar H2/CO = 1. A obtenção da SBA-15 utilizando fontes de sílica convencional e alternativa pôde ser confirmada pelos difratogramas, com destaque para a SBA-15 obtida com a fonte alternativa cinzas da casca de arroz, resíduo agrícola produzido em longa escala e que praticamente não tem aplicação comercial. Os difratogramas dos catalisadores na faixa angular de 0-8º mostraram que após a impregnação dos metais e calcinação, não ocorreram modificações na estrutura hexagonal dos materiais mesoporosos, observando-se os picos principais da fase do SBA-15. As análises de adsorção física de N2 das peneiras moleculares SBA-15 (CCA) e SBA15 (TEOS), mostram isotermas com perfil do tipo IV e histerese H1, características de materiais mesoporosos. As análises térmicas das peneiras moleculares SBA-15 (TEOS) e SBA-15 (CCA) indicaram a eliminação do direcionador (Pluronic) no processo de calcinação. As áreas superficiais específicas dos catalisadores diminuem e o volume de poro varia, devido ao bloqueio parcial dos poros pelo cobalto e pelo promotor rutênio, mas a estrutura da peneira molecular SBA-15 não é alterada. Os perfis de RTP dos catalisadores das séries Co/SBA-15 e Ru/Co/SBA-15 permitiram verificar a presença de picos distintos que pode ser causado pela redução dos óxidos de cobalto. A MET mostrou espécies de cobalto na forma esférica com tamanho de 20 nm, e após a co-impregnação com rutênio, houve uma melhor dispersão dessas espécies de cobalto resultando em partículas menores com tamanho médio de 10 nm. Os resultados obtidos a partir da síntese de FischerTropsch pelos catalisadores, apresentaram altas seletividades a hidrocarbonetos C5+ de alto valor agregado, bem como, verificou-se que a co-impregnação do promotor rutênio no catalisador Co/SBA-15, favoreceu o aumento da seletividade para hidrocarbonetos C5+ e diminuiu a seletividade para metano, com destaque para o desempenho do catalisador 20%Co/0,5%Ru/SBA-15 preparado com as cinzas da casca de arroz. / The aim of this work was to prepare the mesoporous molecular sieve SBA-15 using conventional silica sources (TEOS) and alternative (Ash rice husk) and uses them as support for cobalt catalysts for the Fischer-Tropsch process. And investigate the introduction of ruthenium as a promoter. It was prepared SBA- 15 from a gel of molar composition : 1.0 silica source : 0.017 P123 : 5.7 HCl : 193 H2O. The catalysts were prepared by wet impregnation process using 0.1 M solution (Co(NO3)2.6H2O) (Vetec). Following ruthenium promoter was incorporated using 0.1 M aqueous solution of ruthenium chloride (RuCl3xH2O). The samples were characterized by XRD, EDX , TG/DTA, SEM, TEM, TPR and adsorption of N2. The Fischer-Tropsch reaction is conducted at 240 °C , pressure of 20 bar using a molar ratio H2/CO = 1, on a slurry reactor for a reaction time of 8 h. Obtaining the SBA -15 silica using conventional sources and alternative could be confirmed by X ray diffraction , with emphasis on the SBA -15 obtained with the alternative source of rice husk ash , a residue of agriculture abundant and cheap that is usually discarded. The XRD patterns of the catalysts in the angular range 0-8º showed that after impregnation and calcination of the metal changes did not occur in the hexagonal structure of mesoporous materials , observing the main peaks of the phase of SBA -15. The physical adsorption of N2 analysis of SBA -15 molecular sieves (CCA) and SBA -15 (TEOS) show with type IV isotherm profile and H1 hysteresis characteristics of mesoporous material. The thermal analysis of SBA -15 molecular sieves (TEOS) and SBA -15 (CCA) indicated the elimination of the template (Pluronic) in the calcination process. The specific surface areas of the catalysts decreases , and the pore volume changes due to partial blockage of the pores by cobalt and ruthenium promoter, but the structure of SBA -15 molecular sieve is not changed. TPR profiles of the catalysts of the series Co /SBA- 15 and Ru /Co /SBA -15 evidenced the presence of distinctive peaks that can be caused by the reduction of cobalt oxides. TEM showed cobalt species on spherical 20 nm in size, and after co- impregnation with ruthenium was a better dispersion of these cobalt species resulting in particles with average size smaller than 10 nm. The results obtained from the Fischer- Tropsch the catalysts showed high selectivity to hydrocarbons C5+ of high value, and it was found that co- impregnation of the ruthenium promoter in the Co catalyst /SBA -15 promoted the increase of selectivity to C5+ hydrocarbons and decreased the selectivity to methane, highlighting the performance of the catalyst 20 % Co/0.5 % Ru/SBA-15 prepared with the ashes of the rice husk .

Submitted by Automa??o e Estat?stica (sst@bczm.ufrn.br) on 2018-03-20T16:46:40Z No. of bitstreams: 1 MarieleIaraSoaresDeMello_TESE.pdf: 16812894 bytes, checksum: 6e77a9036a1ea3feab8abf3d2004dd63 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Arlan Eloi Leite Silva (eloihistoriador@yahoo.com.br) on 2018-03-22T11:29:20Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 MarieleIaraSoaresDeMello_TESE.pdf: 16812894 bytes, checksum: 6e77a9036a1ea3feab8abf3d2004dd63 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-03-22T11:29:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 MarieleIaraSoaresDeMello_TESE.pdf: 16812894 bytes, checksum: 6e77a9036a1ea3feab8abf3d2004dd63 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-03-10 / Estudos de catalisadores utilizados em rea??es para a produ??o de combust?veis alternativos, como a S?ntese de Fischer-Tropsch (SFT) e a S?ntese do Metanol via Hidrogena??o de CO2 foram realizados. O efeito da natureza qu?mica do ?xido do suporte sobre o desempenho de catalisadores de cobalto para a rea??o de Fischer-Tropsch foi investigado e uma s?rie de suportes foram sintetizados por meio de uma cobertura em monocamada da ?-Al2O3 com v?rios ?xidos representativos de uma ampla gama de car?ter ?cido-b?sico de Lewis, os quais foram caracterizados por espectroscopia de UV-Vis acoplado com adsor??o de alizarina. Foi poss?vel preparar catalisadores modelos com tamanho de part?culas de Co e porosidades semelhantes, possibilitando o estudo do efeito do suporte, sem sobreposi??o de fatores de difus?o ou tamanho de part?cula. A seletividade de hidrocarbonetos C13+ mostrou depend?ncia do tipo Volcano, com um m?ximo em um car?ter ?cido-base intermedi?rio. A localiza??o das nanopart?culas (NPs) das fases ativas no interior dos canais mesoporosos e o efeito de promo??o do ZrO2 nas propriedades e no desempenho catal?tico dos catalisadores na S?ntese de Metanol via Hidrogena??o de CO2 foi estudado. Tr?s m?todos de co-precipita??o foram empregados para estudar a inser??o das NPs no interior dos mesoporos do suporte. Os m?todos utilizados, ao contr?rio do m?todo de impregna??o a volume de poro convencional, se mostraram como uma forma simples e eficaz de localizar as nanopart?culas de Cu e dos promotores ZnO e ZrO2 nos mesoporos do suporte SBA-15, bem como um efeito positivo nos catalisadores com a incorpora??o do promotor ZrO2. De forma geral, a incorpora??o de ZrO2 mostrou-se eficaz na melhoria da dispers?o e localiza??o das nanopart?culas de Cu e, portanto, maior grau de intera??o do Cu0 com os promotores ZnO e ZrO2. Efeitos de localiza??o e de promo??o do ZrO2 contribuem para a produ??o de catalisadores mais ativos e seletivos para esta rea??o. / Several studies of catalysts used in reactions for the production of energy fuels, such as Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis (FTS) and Methanol Synthesis from CO2 were done. The chemical nature effect of the oxide support on the performance of Cobalt Fischer?Tropsch catalysts was investigated. A series of supports were synthesized via monolayer coverage of porous ?-Al2O3 with various representative oxides from a wide range of Lewis acid?base character, which were characterized by UV?VIS spectroscopy coupled to alizarin adsorption. It was possible to obtain model catalysts with Co particle size and porosity alike, allowing to study the effect of the support without overlapping diffusion factors or particle size. C13+ hydrocarbon selectivity showed volcano-type dependence, with a maximum of intermediate acid-base character. The the nanoparticles of Cu/ZnO/ZnO2 confinement and the promoter effect on the properties and ZrO2 was studied in the context of the catalysts performance in Methanol synthesis via Hydrogenation of CO2. Three co-precipitation methods were chosen to study the nanoparticles confinement in the mesopores. The methods used, unlike the conventional pore volume impregnation method, showed a simple and effective way to confine the Cu/ZnO/ZrO2 NPs in the mesopores of the supporting SBA-15, as well as a positive effect in catalytic converters with the ZrO2 promoter incorporation. In general, the ZrO2 incorporation was effective in improving the dispersion and confinement of Cu NPs and, therefore, a greater Cu0 interaction with ZnO and ZrO2 promoters. Effects of confinement and promotion contributed to the production of more active and selective catalysts for this reaction.

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / A reaÃÃo de sÃntese de Fischer-Tropsch tem merecido grande atenÃÃo pela sua aplicaÃÃo no Ãmbito tecnolÃgico e cientÃfico. Este interesse està associado à conversÃo do gÃs natural em produtos lÃquidos de alta qualidade (gasolina e diesel) e elevado valor agregado. No presente trabalho à descrito a metodologia empregada na sÃntese e caracterizaÃÃo de catalisadores bimetÃlicos, com alto teor da fase ativa de ferro e cobalto, usados na sÃntese de Fischer-Tropsch, suportados em sÃlica promovidos com potÃssio e cobre com diferentes proporÃÃes em base molar. O uso de catalisadores de ferro utilizados na sÃntese de Fischer-Tropsch tem sido estudado por muitos pesquisadores, os resultados tÃm mostrado que estes possuem um desempenho satisfatÃrio na produÃÃo de combustÃveis lÃquidos. Entretanto, pesquisas mostram que os catalisadores de cobalto sÃo mais eficientes na produÃÃo de hidrocarbonetos de cadeia longa e linear em relaÃÃo ao ferro. Contudo, catalisadores a base de cobalto sÃo mais caros comparados aos de ferro. Uma relaÃÃo custo/benefÃcio tem que ser atingida na fabricaÃÃo de catalisadores de tal forma que tenhamos uma otimizaÃÃo da produÃÃo de combustÃveis sintÃticos de elevado peso molecular sem muitos gastos com o catalisador. Pretende-se com esta discussÃo, identificar possÃveis vias para o desenvolvimento de catalisadores mais ativos e seletivos, variando a composiÃÃo do promotor estrutural para fins de otimizar a distribuiÃÃo dos produtos (diesel e graxa). A reaÃÃo foi conduzida em um reator de leito de lama. O estudo seguiu um planejamento experimental do tipo fatorial quadrado com ponto central e os resultados foram analisados baseados na metodologia de anÃlises de superfÃcies de respostas. Os efeitos das diferentes condiÃÃes operacionais (temperatura e pressÃo) e dos diferentes teores de potÃssio e cobre na distribuiÃÃo dos produtos lÃquidos foram comparados baseados nos cromatogramas, nÃmero mÃdio de carbono (Nn). Diante dos testes realizados com os catalisadores bimetÃlicos (Fe/Co) dopados com diferentes teores de potÃssio e/ou cobre, chegou-se a uma melhor relaÃÃo entre os metais (K,Cu) para sÃntese de um catalisador mais eficiente (50Fe/50Co/12K/5Cu/139SiO2). Sendo que o objetivo desta formulaÃÃo bimetÃlica, obter vantagens de possÃveis efeitos sinergÃticos entre os dois metais (Fe/Co) e seus promotores estruturais. / The reaction of Fischer-Tropsch synthesis has received great attention for its application in technology and science. This interest is associated with conversion of natural gas into high quality liquid products (gasoline and diesel) and high added value. In the present paper describes the methodology employed in the synthesis and characterization of bimetallic catalysts with high levels of the active phase of iron and cobalt, used in the synthesis of Fischer-Tropsch, supported on silica promoted with potassium and copper with different ratios on a molar basis. The use of iron catalysts used in the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis has been studied by many researchers, the results have shown that these have a satisfactory performance in the production of liquid fuels. However, studies have shown that cobalt catalysts are most effective in producing long-chain hydrocarbons and linear with respect to iron. However, the cobalt-based catalysts are more expensive compared to iron. A cost / benefit ratio has to be reached in the manufacture of catalysts which have such an optimization of production of synthetic fuels of high molecular weight inexpensively with the catalyst. The intention with this discussion, identify possible pathways for the development of more active and selective catalysts, varying the composition of the promoter structure for purposes of optimizing the distribution of products (diesel and grease). The reaction was conducted in a reactor bed of mud. The study followed an experimental planning factorial central square and the results were analyzed based on the methodology of the analysis of response surfaces. The effects of different operating conditions (temperature and pressure) and different concentrations of potassium and copper in the distribution of liquid based on the chromatograms were compared, average carbon number (Nn). Before the tests with the bimetallic catalysts (Fe / Co) doped with different concentrations of potassium and / or copper, it was a better relationship between the metals (K, Cu) for the synthesis of a more efficient catalyst (50Fe/50Co/12K/5Cu/139SiO2). Since the goal of this formulation bimetallic take advantage of possible synergistic effects between the two metals (Fe / Co) and its structural promoters.