Alkynes, hydrogenation industrial applications

With industrial applications in mind, we now have focused on catalyst deactivation during the selective hydrogenation of C2 - C4 alkynes over an lon-exchanged CU/SIO2 catalyst, supported Cu catalysts and Cu powder. 

The selective hydrogenation of alkynes to alkenes has an industrial application in the hydrogenation of low concentrations of alkynes and dialkenes in alkene streams obtained from the steam cracking of petroleum fractions. The impurities are selectively hydrogenated over a Pd catalyst to produce pure alkenes. 

One important application of selective hydrogenation of alkynes is their removal from the industrial steam cracker products. These can contain several percents of alkynes as byproducts. They are particularly unwelcome in that they poison the catalysts used for the downstream polymerization of the olefins. Selective hydrogenation of these steam cracker cuts has two advantages. It removes acetylenes and converts them to desired alkenes, thereby increasing the overall yields (see Section 11.6.1). 

Hydrocarbons contain only hydrogen and carbon. The hydrocarbon functional groups include alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, and arenes (aromatic compounds). Simple hydrocarbons have few medicinal applications, but are the feedstock of the petrochemical industry to produce plastics, dyes, solvents, detergents, and adhesives (to name just a few). Therefore, hydrocarbons are essential to the medical field. Additionally, all hydrocarbons are flammable and, therefore, find application as fuels. For example, gasoline is a mixture of hydrocarbons. 

A review gives an overview over the contribution of organometalllc catalysis to Industry, another In the series on transition metals In organic synthesis covers CO reactions, hydrogenations and oxidations. The role of zirconium catalysts In hydro- and carboalumination of alkenes and alkynes, cyclopropanatlons and diene oligomerisations has been dlscussed, and an account deals with the role of electrophilic metal carbenes In cyclopropanatlons and other synthetic applications. 

---