Results of catalytic screening tests aimed at enhancing the selectivity of cobalt-basedFischer-Tropsch catalysts for the C2-C4 hydrocarbon fraction are reported. In these studies cobalt-zirconia, cobalt-copper, cobalt-chromia, and cobalt -manganese supported on kieselguhr or alumina were tested at 7.8 atm of a 1CO:3H2:6He feed gas using a Berty, inter nally recycled, stirred catalytic reactor. The results to date show that while cobalt-chromia-kieselguhr and cobalt-zirconia-kieselguhr catalysts exhibit higher global rates for CO conversion (54.6 and 116.6 µmol/sec • gcat at 500 K, respec tively), cobalt-manganese-alumina catalysts show the great est selectivity potential to produce C2-C4 olefins in the 450-623 Κ range. While the optimum catalyst has yet to be estab lished, the results demonstrate that alkali (as K2O) plays a significant role in enhancing the selectivity.TTistorically, the sources of petrochemical feedstocks have been related directly to the supply of petroleum. Initially, liquified petroleum gases (LPG) supplied this need. Later, as the supply of LPG diminished, naphthas became the primary source (I). The 1973 Arab oil embargo dramatically demonstrated the critical need for alternative sources of fossil carbon. Thus, any development to reduce our dependence on foreign suppliers of petroleum, e.g., an economic coal-based process, should have high priority (2). Hence, there has been a renewal of interest in Fischer-Tropsch processes (3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14), the catalytic synthesis of primarily C5-C11 hydrocarbons from CO-H2 mixtures. Unfortunately, economic considerations indicate that a synthetic naphtha as cracker feedstock for American Chemical 0-8412-04^^j^3jlfm.â4^$05.00/0