The First Industrial Application of Nickel Catalysts

Sabatier did not extend his work to liquid phase hydrogenation, possibly because the condensation of liquid on the catalyst surface interfered with the reactioa Nevertheless, by 1902 the liquid phase hydrogenation of fatty oils had been introduced on an industrial scale. Apart from nickel oxide the catalysts claimed in these patents included copper, platinum, and palladium, and were soon being supported on inert materials to increase activity.  

Although Sabatier and Senderens had hydrogenated oleic acid vapor to produce stearic acid, they did not extend this work themselves. The appendix to Chapters 11 and 12 in their book describes early work to about 1916, by others who used nickel and palladium catalysts. They described the use of nickel supported on pumice, kieselguhr, asbestos, and wood charcoal.  

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