The growing reliance on imported oil gave the synthetic fuels a fresh impetus in the 1980s. The Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) is the exothermic reaction of carbon monoxide and hydrogen to mainly hydrocarbons together with water and carbon dioxide. It can be represented by the following reaction equation

Dimethyl ether (DME) is an alternative fuel that could potentially replace petroleum-based fuels. Dimethyl ether is the simplest ether (CH3OCH3). The physical properties of DME are similar to those of liquefied petroleum gases (propane and butane). It burns with a visible blue flame and is non-peroxide forming in the pure state or in aerosol formulations. Unlike methane, DME does not require an odorant because it has a sweet ether-like odor. It is a volatile organic compound, but is non-carcinogenic, non-teratogenic, non-mutagenic and non-toxic.

Methanol is inside the top 10 produced molecules. Methanol has been a common chemical feedstock for several important chemicals such as acetic acid, methyl ter-butyl ether (MTBE), formaldehyde and chloromethane. Moreover, methanol being a clean liquid fuel could provide convenient storage of energy for fuel cell applications, particularly in transportation and mobile devices. In additions, over the last few decades, methanol-to-hydrocarbons (MTHC) technologies, in particular methanol-to-olefin (MTO) and methanol-to-gasoline (MTG), have been the focus for a large number of researcher dealing with the upgrading of natural resources beneficial both for the petrolchemistry and fuel industries. The process to synthesize methanol from carbon monoxide and hydrogen was introduced by BASF in 1923 and it was the second large-scale application of catalysis (after ammonia synthesis) and high-pressure technology (100-300 bar) to the chemical industry.

Ammonia is used in various applications, such as textile processing, water purification, and manufacturing explosives. The main part, however, is used as fertilizer. Ammonia production consumes about half the hydrogen produced today and is the primary chemical industry use of hydrogen. Ammonia is currently made where there is inexpensive natural gas that provides economical hydrogen and shipped to the costumer. The low cost of shipping ammonia favors ver large ammonia production plants with very large demands for hydrogen.

Hydrogen is a “building block” product of remarkable industrial interest and it is indicated as energy carrier of increasing relevance. Hydrogen is found naturally in hydrogen-rich compounds; it cannot be extracted like natural gas or oil, but needs to be released by applying energy. On the one hand, this represents a drawback because the process requires the input of primary energy carriers like coal, natural gas or biomass, of electricity or high temperatures. The advantage is that a wide range of different feedstocks and energy sources can be used for hydrogen production. It can be manufactured form a wide range of energy sources and in particular from fossil feuls, biofuels by thermochemical way and form water by electrolytic way. Currently, the main sources for the next two or three decades will remain fossol fuels and in particular the natural gas.

A process for hydrotreating substantially liquid hydrocarbon containing feed streams (particularly heavy oils) which also contain compounds of nickel, vanadium and sulfur employing a catalyst composition comprising alumina, at least one compound of titanium and at least one compound of molybdenum is prepared either by the steps of impregnating an alumina support material with an aqueous solution of at least one titanium compound, drying, impregnating the Ti-impregnated material with an aqueous solution of at least one molybdenum compound, drying and calcining; or by the steps of impregnating an alumina support material with an aqueous solution of at least one titanium compound and at least one molybdenum compound, drying and calcining.