With petroleum prices spiraling upward, making synthetic fuels--or "synfuels"--from coal, natural gas, and biomass has become more economically competitive. Advanced energy companies now focus exclusively on alternative fuels, and many oil companies have programs dedicated to developing synthetic fuels. The Fischer-Tropsch process, which uses a collection of chemical reactions to convert mixtures of carbon monoxide and hydrogen into liquid hydrocarbons, is the studied method of choice for producing synthetic petroleum substitutes.

Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis, Catalysts, and Catalysis: Advances and Applications began at a symposium held during the 248th American Chemical Society meeting, where high attendance demonstrated great interest in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. The lively discussions that occurred led to the creation of this carefully constructed reference work. The contributors here have expanded and reorganized their presentations from the conference into thorough chapters that reflect the four key subject areas that dominated the presentations:

• Catalyst preparation and activation
• Catalyst activity and reaction mechanisms
• Catalyst characterization and related reactions
• Topics concerning commercializing the Fischer-Tropsch process

While describing advances and exploring the potential of the Fischer-Tropsch process in the future of synthetic fuels, the research also demonstrates that several issues remain in producing increasingly active catalysts and more efficient reactor design.

Covering recent developments in Fischer-Tropsch technology for renewable resources and green energy, this book is a significant contribution for researchers and practitioners concerned with the production of synthetic fuels. It explores new and sophisticated techniques while providing a look at the application of these advances to commercial processing conditions.