Nickel-thorium oxide catalyst

The best nickel-thorium oxide catalyst (100 Ni 18Th02 100 kieselguhr) was also precipitated with potassium carbonate and showed... 

Tetrahydrofuran is obtained as byproduct of the hydrogenation of succinic anhydride on nickel-rhenium catalyst. The hydrogenation of y-butyrolactone to 1,U-butanediol is conducted at 250°C and 100 bar the presence of a nickel-cobalt-thorium oxide catalyst supported on silica. Slurry reactors have been used up to now for these hydrogenations, as it is often the case when new processes are extrapolated from small pilot plant or laboratory data, the more so as the actual capacities (a few thousands tons per year)are rather small. 

The following nickel-carrier catalysts have been described nickel-kieselguhr,169 nickel-pumice,170 nickel-kieselguhr containing thorium oxide,171 nickel on magnesium oxide, barium oxide, or beryllium oxide,172 nickel on aluminum oxide,173 and nickel-zinc oxide-barium oxide-chromium oxide.174 Other carriers for nickel catalysts are active charcoal, silica, fuller s earth, and oxides such as magnesia, alumina, and bauxite. 

Silver-containing catalysts are used exclusively in all commercial ethylene oxide units, although the catalyst composition may vary considerably (129). Nonsdver-based catalysts such as platinum, palladium, chromium, nickel, cobalt, copper ketenide, gold, thorium, and antimony have been investigated, but are only of academic interest (98,130—135). Catalysts using any of the above metals either have very poor selectivities for ethylene oxide production at the conversion levels required for commercial operation, or combust ethylene completely at useful operating temperatures. 

Tn review completely the numerous examples of promoted catalysts, most of which are mentioned in the patent literature, would be entirely out of place here. It is, however, interesting to note that the term was used and the effect noticed early in the industrialization of the water gas reaction.- Additions of the oxide of chromium, thorium, uranium, beryllium, and antimony to the nickel, iron, or cobalt catalysts was found to increase greatly the activity of these materials toward this reaction.24... 

---