Tetralin Hydrogenation over Supported Nickel Catalysts

An investigation was carried out to study the feasibility of using 5% nickel/alumina catalysts synthesized with different methods and metal precursors for hydrogenation tetralin. The were characterized atomic absorption spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray powder diffraction, photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), hydrogen chemisorption, surface area pore volume analyses. tested in a continuous-flow, fixed-bed, reactor solvent-free tetralin feed under conditions 5 barg hydrogen, 210 °C, weight hourly space velocity h–1, H2/HC ratio 7.5 (gas velocity, 4220 h–1). These reaction much milder than ones reported literature but showed considerably higher catalytic activity even low loadings. indicated that product’s isomer governed by kinetics. Indeed, remarkable difference observed selectivity relation cis/trans decalin ratios, where derived from nickel carbonate cis-decalin compared prepared nitrate. It speculated dispersion particle size played an important role this variance, as suggested XPS chemisorption. also found change not related conversion. Similarly, deactivation patterns over these catalysts.