Commercial spent fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) catalysts provided by Engelhard and Albemarle were used as supports for Fe-based catalysts with the goal of improving the attrition resistance of typical FT catalysts. Catalysts with the Ruhrchemie composition (100Fe/5Cu/4.2K/25 spent FCC on mass basis) were prepared by wet impregnation. XRD and XANES analysis showed the presence of Fe2O3 in calcined catalysts. FexC and Fe3O4 were present in the activated catalysts. The metal composition of the catalysts was analyzed by ICP-MS. F-T activity of the catalysts activated in situ in CO at the same conditions as used prior to the attrition tests was measured using a fixed bed reactor at T = 573 K, P = 1.38 MPa and H-2:CO ratio of 0.67. Cu and K promoted Fe supported over Engelhard-spent FCC catalyst shows relatively high attrition resistance, CO conversion (81%) and C-5+ hydrocarbons selectivity (18.3%). (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.