HYDROGENATION PROCESS AND CATALYSTS THEREFOR

1,264,254. Hydrogenation catalysts. INSTITUT FRANCAIS DU PETROLE DES CARBURANTS ET LUBRIFIANTS. 3 Sept., 1969 [5 Sept., 1968; 24 Dec., 1968; 17 Feb., 1969], No. 16732/70. Divided out of 1,233,129. Heading B1E. [Also in Division C5] Hydrogenation catalysts, some of which are claimed per se, comprise reaction product of (1) a transition metal compound, with (2) an aluminium compound of formula Al H n X 3-n , where n is 1 or 2, and the X radicals are each OR, NR 2 , NHR, or SR, R being an organic group, with the proviso that two x radicals may be joined to form an -A-Z-B-group, where A and B are alkylene groups, and Z is alkylene, oxygen, sulphur, NH, N-hydrocarbyl or polyvalent metal. An electron device may also be present, e.g. an ether, amine, heterocyclic compound, phosphine oxide or phosphine. The catalysts may be supported, e.g. on molecular sieves, alumina or silica. Typical of many catalysts components specified are (1) Co Br 2 (pyriden), Co Br 2 [PO (naphthyl)' 3 ] 2 Ti Cl 2 (indenyl) 2 , Ti(S.C 6 H 5 ) 2 (cyclopentadienyl) 2 , Fe Cl 3 , Zn (acetylacetonate) 2 and Ni Cl 2 [P(C 6 H 11 ) 3 ] 2 ; and (2) Al H (O-tert Butyl) 2 and Al H