How can we use our carbon-based resources in the most responsible manner? How can we most efficiently transform natural gas, coal, or biomass into diesel, jet fuel or gasoline to drive our machines? The Big Questions today are energy-related, and the Fischer-Tropsch process provides industrially tested solutions.

This book offers a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the Fischer-Tropsch process, from the basic science and engineering to commercial issues. It covers industrial, economic, environmental, and fundamental aspects, with a specific focus on 'green' concepts such as sustainability, process improvement, waste-reduction, and environmental care.

The result is a practical reference for researchers, engineers, and financial analysts working in the energy sector, who are interested in carbon conversion, fuel processing or synthetic fuel technologies. It is also an ideal introductory book on the Fischer-Tropsch process for graduate courses in chemistry and chemical engineering.

Peter Maitlis is Professor Emeritus of Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Sheffield. His researches are concerned with the interaction of organic molecules with metals, where he is currently developing a closer understanding of heterogeneously catalyzed reactions. He has co-authored over 350 scientific papers as well as three books on catalysis, and has lectured extensively. His work has been recognized internationally: he was elected FRS in 1984, and was made a Socio of the Accademia dei Lincei in Rome in 1999. He has been President of the Dalton Division of the RSC, Chairman, of the SERC Chemistry Committee in the UK, and has also worked in the USA (Cornell and Harvard), and in Canada (McMaster University).

Arno de Klerk holds postgraduate qualifications in both analytical chemistry and chemical engineering. In 2001 he was appointed as research manager of the Fischer-Tropsch Refinery Catalysis group, being responsible for catalysis research related to conversion processes for upgrading Fischer-Tropsch syncrude to fuels and chemicals. In 2009 he relocated from South Africa to Canada and took up his present position at the University of Alberta. He has authored publications in the fields of engineering, catalysis, chemistry and refining. He is author of the book 'Fischer-Tropsch Refining' also published by Wiley-VCH (ISBN 978-3-527-32605-1).