Hydrogenation of Cumene (II)

Catalytic Reaction in Liquid Phase at Medium Temperature and Pressure by Raney Ni (W₄) Catalyst

Abstract

1) Catalytic hydrogenation of cumene was carried out in autoclave using Raney catalyst (mainly Raney Ni (W₄) catalyst) in liquid phase at medium temperature and pressure, and the effect of various conditions on the yield of iso-propylcyclohexane was examined.
2) With the use of Raney Ni (W₄). i) The optimum amount of catalyst is about 10wt% of the sample. ii) The yield increases as the temperature increases; yield was 97.5wt% under the following conditions: initial pressure of hydrogen at 40kg/cm², (gauge) with the R-Ni (W₄) catalyst of 5.0wt% (relative to the sample), reaction time of 20min, stirring at 80rpm, and the reaction temperature at 160°C; while the yield was 100wt% at 170°C. iii) The higher the initial hydrogen pressure, the shorter the time required to obtain high yield; in order to obtain 100wt% of yield at the initial hydrogen pressure of 40∼50kg/cm², (gauge) the following conditions were found to be suitable: reaction time of 20∼30min, 5∼10wt% of the catalyst (relative to the sample), and stirring at 80rpm. iv) The catalyst, with reactivation, can be used repeatedly without loss of activity; the yield was, however, very poor.