Ni/TiO2 hydrogenation catalyst

• US 7,408,086 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2002
• Issued: 08/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: BASF AG (BASF SE)
• Original Assignee: BASF AG (BASF SE)
• Inventors: Schwab, Ekkehard, Penzel, Ulrich, Tittelbach-Helmrich, Dietrich, Vanoppen, Dominic, Weidner, Bernd, Georgi, Gunter, Dahlhaus, Juergen, Mueller, Joern
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Cam N.
• Application Number:
  US10/478,475
• Publication Number:
  US 20040147783A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,273 Days
• Field of Search: 502326-328, 502330-332, 502/335, 502/337, 502/350, 502/439, 502/315, 502302-304, 502/351, 564/422
• US Class Current: 564/422
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 21/063 Titanium; Oxides or hydroxides thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 21/066 Zirconium or hafnium; Oxides or hydroxides thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/755 Nickel
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/78 with alkali- or alkaline earth metals
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/83 with rare earths or actinides
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 35/23 in a colloidal state
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 35/30 characterised by their physical properties
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 35/393 Metal or metal oxide crystallite size
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 37/03 Precipitation; Co-precipitation
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 209/36 by reduction of nitro groups bound to carbon atoms of six-membered aromatic rings in presence of hydrogen-containing gases and a catalyst
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 211/46 Aniline
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 211/47 Toluidines; Homologues thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 211/51 Phenylenediamines

Abstract

A catalyst comprising nickel on a TiO₂ support is obtainable by coprecipitation of

• • nickel and
  • at least one further metal selected from among Si, Zr, Hf, alkaline earth metals, Y, La and Ce, and
  • optionally at least one dopant metal selected from groups 5 to 11 of the Periodic Table of the Elements,
  • from a solution in which the corresponding metal salts are present onto a particulate TiO₂ support, subsequent drying, calcination and reduction and optionally passivation to give the nickel-containing catalyst.

It is used, in particular, for the hydrogenation of nitroaromatic compounds.

Claims

1. A catalyst, comprising:

nickel on a TiO₂ support;

wherein the catalyst is prepared by;

co-precipitating;

nickel;

at least one further metal selected from the group consisting of alkaline earth metals, Y, La and Ce; and

optionally at least one dopant metal selected from the group consisting of elements of groups 5 to 11 of the Periodic Table of the Elements;

onto a particulate TiO₂ support from a solution in which corresponding metal salts are included; and

subsequently drying, calcining, reducing, and optionally passivating the support to obtain the catalyst;

wherein the catalyst has a mean particle size (d₅₀) of from 3 to 80 μ

m.

2. A catalyst as claimed in claim 1, wherein the catalyst comprises nickel in an amount of from 20 to 80% by weight, based on a total weight of the catalyst.

3. A catalyst as claimed in claim 1, wherein a weight ratio of an oxide of the further metal or metals to the TiO₂ support is from 0.2:

1 to 4;

1.

4. A catalyst as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

preparing the catalyst further comprises forming nickel crystallites; and

the nickel crystallites are from 4 to 20 nm in size.

5. A catalyst as claimed in claim 1, wherein preparing the catalyst comprises performing passivating after performing reducing.

6. A process for preparing a catalyst as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

co-precipitating;

nickel;

at least one further metal selected from the group consisting of alkaline earth metals, Y, La and Ce; and

optionally at least one dopant metal selected from the group consisting of elements of groups 5 to 11 of the Periodic Table of the Elements;

onto a particulate TiO₂ support from a solution in which corresponding metal salts are included; and

subsequently drying, calcining, reducing, and optionally passivating the support to obtain the catalyst.

7. A process for preparing aromatic amino compounds, comprising:

hydrogenating nitroaromatic compounds in the presence of a catalyst as defined in claim 1.

8. A process as claimed in claim 7, wherein the aromatic amino compounds are selected from the group consisting of aniline, o-toluidine, p-toluidine and toluenediamine.