Patent ID: 6489521
Filing Date: 2002-12-03
Classification: B01J,C07C

Abstract:
In a method of hydrogenating a saturated or unsaturated ester in a process including hydration of the ester, comprising:conducting the hydrogenation reactions including a hydration reaction in the presence of a shaped, activated, fixed-bed Raney metal catalyst prepared by a method comprising: (i) preparing a mixture of powders comprising at least one catalyst alloy of (1) at least one catalytically active Raney process metal, a leachable alloy component and optionally a promoter, (2) at least one binder containing at least one pure Raney process metal, and (3) a moistening agent, (i-a) homogenizing said mixture, (i-b) shaping said mixture into a molded catalyst precursor which is not activated, (i-c) calcining said molded catalyst precursor at a temperature below 850Â° C., thereby obtaining a sintered catalyst precursor, (i-d) activating said sintered catalyst precursor by leaching said leachable alloy component with alkali until the leached, and thereby activated outer layer has a thickness of 0.05 to 1 mm, and (i-e) subsequently washing the final catalyst; and (ii) doping said catalyst with rhenium as a promoter after said activation by introducing said catalyst into a perrhenic acid solution or a solution of a Re salt, for a sufficient period of time to dope the catalyst completely with the rhenium in said perrhenic acid solution.