HIDROGENATION OF MALEIC ANHYDRIDE IN GAS PHASE ON Cu AND Ni SUPPORTED CATALYSTS: EFFECT OF THE SUPPORT AND METHOD OF PREPARATION

CAMILO I. MEYER; SILVINA A. REGENHARDT; MATÍAS E. BERTONE; ALBERTO J. MARCHI; TERESITA F. GARETTO

Avances en Ciencia e Ingeniería

Executive Bussiness School

Lugar: La Serena; Año: 2012 vol. 3 p. 71 - 79

0718-8706

The gas-phase hydrogenation of maleic anhydride was studied using Cu and/or Ni based catalysts, supported on SiO2 and SiO2-Al2O3. These catalysts were prepared by incipient wetness impregnation and precipitationdeposition methods. The total metal load was around 10%. Samples were characterized by XRD, TPR and H2 chemisorption. The catalytic activity tests were carried out in gas phase, at atmospheric pressure and between 170 ºC and 220 ºC. It was found that the preparation method and the support are playing an important role on the physicochemical properties and catalytic activity of the solids prepared in this work. As a consequence, it is possible to obtain Ni-based catalysts with different hydrogenolytic capability. The bimetallic Cu-Ni catalysts showed the highest selectivity in the hydrogenolysis of succinic anhydride to gamma -butyrolactone. This was attributed to the formation of a bimetallic Cu-Ni phase, which can be more easily obtained when the precipitation-deposition method is used.