GC×GC: A novel technique for investigating selectivity in the Fischer–Tropsch synthesis

A study has been conducted to illustrate the benefit of the GC × GC-technique over the classically used 1D-GC technique to analyse the selectivity of iron catalysed low temperature Fischer–Tropsch synthesis. The selectivity of the products obtained from the iron catalysed Fischer–Tropsch synthesis at 225 °C; H2/CO feed ratio = 1.5 and total pressure = 27 bars was evaluated. The selectivity results obtained from these methods were compared with special focus on the minor compounds such as oxygenates. The superiority of the GC × GC-technique above the 1D-GC technique were proven when minor product compounds such as the linear acids, secondary alcohols, ketones and aldehydes, and branched paraffins, olefins, alcohols, acids could be quantified using the GC × GC-technique but not using the 1D-GC system. It is further shown that the GC × GC-technique displayed a higher level of accuracy than 1D-GC system when detecting compounds in complex mixtures.