Hydrogenation of sunflower oil on Pd catalysts in supercritical conditions: effect of the particle size

PIQUERAS C; FERNANDEZ M; TONETTO G.; BOTTINI S; DAMIANI D.

CATALYSIS COMMUNICATIONS

Año: 2006 vol. 7 p. 344 - 347

1566-7367

The sunflower oil hydrogenation at conventional conditions is insensitive to the catalyst surface morphology, mostly because the reaction is diffusion controlled. The addition of a supercritical solvent permits the hydrogenation reaction to occur in a homogeneous phase in contact with the solid catalyst. Activity and selectivity were analyzed using supercritical propane and ã-Al2O3 supported Pd catalysts with different particle size.  No significant variations were observed in the reaction rate. On the other hand, cis-isomers selectivity and the production of saturated compound were favored in the case of the smallest metallic particle size (< 2 nm). Despite that during the reaction there occurred a phase separation, propane was in supercritical state in both phases. Thus the advantages mentioned regarding mass transfer could still be observed.