The removal of trace acetylene in ethylene streams destined for polyethylene production is a high-volume industrial catalytic-based process that must demonstrate high selective for alkyne hydrogenation over alkene hydrogenation.  The current industrial catalyst is a Pd-Ag alloy; Ag dilutes Pd ensembles that are unselective toward acetylene/ethylene hydrogenation.  Recent research has demonstrated Ni-Zn and Ni-Ga alloy catalysts have comparable activity and ethylene selectivity.  We report on the synthesis of Ni-Zn and Ni-Ga catalysts that exhibit a higher selectivity than Pd-Ag for acetylene semi-hydrogenation in excess ethylene.  Ni nanoparticles (NPs) with an average diameter of 3, 6 and 10 nm synthesized by a high-temperature colloidal method were converted into Ni-Zn NPs by the injection of diethylzinc into hot solvent containing Ni NPs.  The Ni-Zn NPs were subsequently adsorbed from solution on the surface of mesoporous silica.  Preliminary data on the chemoselective hydrogenation of crotonaldehyde over Ni-based alloy NP catalysts will be presented.

Ni-based bimetallic catalysts for chemoselective hydrogenation

244th National Meeting (2012)

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