Development of a stable cobalt-ruthenium Fisher-Tropsch catalyst. Final report

The reverse micelle catalyst preparation method has been used to prepare catalysts on four supports: magnesium oxide, carbon, alumina- titania and steamed Y zeolite. These catalysts were not as active as a reference catalyst prepared during previous contracts to Union Carbide Corp. This catalyst was supported on steamed Y zerolite support and was impregnated by a pore-filling method using a nonaqueous solvent. Additional catalysts were prepared via pore- filling impregnation of steamed Y zeolites. These catalysts had levels of cobalt two to three and a half times as high as the original Union Carbide catalyst. On a catalyst volume basis they were much more active than the previous catalyst; on an atom by atom basis the cobalt was about of the same activity, i.e., the high cobalt catalysts` cobalt atoms were not extensively covered over and deactivated by other cobalt atoms. The new, high activity, Y zerolite catalysts were not as stable as the earlier Union Carbide catalyst. However, stability enhancement of these catalysts should be possible, for instance, through adjustment of the quantity and/or type of trace metals present. A primary objective of this work was determination whether small amounts of ruthenium could enhance the activity of the cobalt F-T catalyst. The reverse micelle catalysts were not activated by ruthenium, indeed scanning transmission electronic microscopy (STEM) analysis provided some evidence that ruthenium was not present in the cobalt crystallites. Ruthenium did not seem to activate the high cobalt Y zeolite catalyst either, but additional experiments with Y zeolite-supported catalysts are required. Should ruthenium prove not to be an effective promoter under the simple catalyst activation procedure used in this work, more complex activation procedures have been reported which are claimed to enhance the cobalt/ruthenium interaction and result in activity promotion by ruthenium

Technology development for iron Fischer-Tropsch catalysts

The objectives of this contract are to develop a technology for the production of active and stable iron Fischer-Tropsch catalysts for use in slurry-phase synthesis reactors and to develop a scale up procedure for large-scale synthesis of such catalysts for process development and long-term testing in slurry bubble-column reactors. The catalyst performance target in the slurry bubble-column reactor is 88% CO + H{sub 2} conversion at a minimum space velocity of 2.4 NL/hr/gFe. Typical feed used to attain this level of conversion is preferred to have H{sub 2} and CO in the molar ratio of 0.5 to 1.0. The desired sum of methane and ethane selectivities is no more than 4%, and the conversion loss per week is not to exceed 1%

Description of Lutzomyia (Pifanomyia) robusta n. sp. (Diptera, Psychodidae, Phlebotominae) from Peruvian Equadorean interandean areas

Description of Lutzomyia robusta, n. sp. (Diptera, Psychodidae, Phlebotominae) from interandean areas of Peru and Equador. Lutzomyia robusta, n. sp., probable vector of human bartonellosis and cutaneous leishmaniasis, is described and illustrated. This species presents strong affinity with L. serrana (Damasceno & Arouck, 1949) but they can be distinguished by variance analysis of four male characteristics and only one female characteristic. In the variance analysis, populations of L. serrana, of Amazonian areas of Brazil, Peru and Bolivia, the coast of Equador and other areas of Brazil were studied. The synonymy of Lutzomyia guayasi (Rodriguez) and L. serrana was corroborated.<br>Descreve-se Lutzomyia (Pifanomyia) robusta, sp.n., provável vetora de bartonelose e leishmaniose tegumentar, de ocorrência em vales interandinos no Peru e Equador e que apresenta estreita afinidade com L. serrana (Damasceno e Arouck). A separação de ambas foi possível, por meio de análise de variância de alguns caracteres do macho e apenas um da fêmea. Na análise de variância, foram estudadas populações de L. serrana da região amazônica do Brasil, Peru e Bolívia; costa do Equador; região atlântica e outras áreas do Brasil. Corrobora-se a sinonímia de Phlebotomus guayasi Rodríguez com L. serrana

Individual and combined effect of granulocyte–macrophage colony-stimulating factor and prolactin on maturation of dendritic cells from blood monocytes under serum-free conditions

Prolactin (PRL) shares structural and functional features with haemopoietic factors and cytokine peptides. Dendritic cells (DC) are involved in both initiating the primary and boosting the secondary host immune response and can be differentiated in vitro from precursors under the effect of granulocyte–macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) plus other factors. Because PRL has been shown to functionally interact with GM-CSF, we have addressed its role on GM-CSF-driven differentiation of DC. Monocytic DC precursors from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were enriched either by adhesion to a plastic surface or CD14-positive selection and cultured for 7 days in serum-free medium containing GM-CSF, interleukin (IL)-4 and PRL, alone or in combination. Cells with large, veiled cytoplasm, expressing major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II and the costimulatory molecules CD80, CD86 and CD40 and lacking the monocyte marker CD14, were considered as having the phenotype of cytokine-generated DC. Functional maturation was assessed by proliferation and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) release of allogeneic T lymphocytes. Physiological (10–20 ng/ml) concentrations of PRL interacted synergistically with GM-CSF and the effect was similar to that induced by IL-4 on GM-CSF-driven DC maturation. When used alone, the physiological concentrations of PRL were inhibitory, whereas higher concentrations (80 ng/ml) were stimulatory. The synergistic effect of PRL may in part be caused by its ability to counteract the down-modulation of the GM-CSF receptor observed in serum-free conditions. These data provide further evidence of the significance of PRL in the process of T lymphocyte activation