Hydrogenation catalysts

• US 6,846,772 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2003
• Issued: 01/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Johnson Matthey PLC
• Original Assignee: Johnson Matthey PLC
• Inventors: Bailey, Stephen, Rogers, Stephen Derek, Gray, Gavin, Lok, Cornelis Martinus
• Primary Examiner(s): Bos, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): WRIGHT, WILLIAM G
• Application Number:
  US10/348,424
• Publication Number:
  US 20030150774A1
• Time in Patent Office: 735 Days
• Field of Search: 502/174, 502/200, 554/141
• US Class Current: 502/174
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 21/08 Silica
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/755 Nickel
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 35/392 Metal surface area
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 35/615 100-500 m2/g
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 35/647 2-50 nm
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 37/031 Precipitation
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 37/086 Decomposition of an organometallic compound, a metal complex or a metal salt of a carboxylic acid
• CPC Class Codes: C11C 3/123 using catalysts based principally on nickel or derivates

Abstract

Production of nickel/silica hydrogenation catalyst precursors by heating a slurry of particulate silica, e.g. kieselguhr, in an aqueous nickel ammine carbonate solution for a total period of at least 200 minutes at a pH above 7.5, followed by filtration, washing, drying, and optionally calcination.

Claims

1. A process for the production of a hydrogenation catalyst comprising the steps of heating a slurry of particles of silica suspended in an aqueous solution of a nickel ammine carbonate for a total period of at least 200 minutes at a pH above 7.5 at an elevated temperature sufficient to effect decomposition of the nickel ammine carbonate and precipitation of a basic nickel carbonate, filtering the precipitated basic nickel carbonate from the aqueous medium, and reducing said filtered basic nickel carbonate precipitate in hydrogen at a temperature below 380°

C.

2. A process according to claim 1 wherein the silica is kieselguhr.

3. A process according to claim 1 wherein the slurry is maintained at said elevated temperature for at least 100 minutes after completion of the decomposition of the nickel ammine carbonate.

4. A process according to claim 1 wherein the amounts of silica and nickel ammine carbonate employed are such that the nickel to silicon atomic ratio is in the range 0.5 to 5.

5. A process according to claim 1 further comprising, prior to the reducing step, calcining the filtered basic nickel carbonate precipitate.

6. A process according to claim 1, wherein the particles of silica have a surface weighted mean diameter D[3,2] below 10 microns.