Patent ID: 7053156

Claim:
A process for hydrogenating a block copolymer comprising admixing a block copolymer cement comprising an unhydrogenated block copolymer in the solution or suspension in which the copolymer is prepared with hydrogen in the presence of a heterogeneous hydrogenation catalyst wherein the heterogeneous hydrogenation catalyst is a metal catalyst on a porous alumina support, the porous alumina support having the properties: (a) from 40 to 60 percent of the pore volume of the support have a diameter greater than 1000 nm; (b) from 50 to 70 percent of the pore volume of the support have a diameter greater than 100 nm; and (c) the support has a multi-modal pore structure with from 5 to 20 percent of the total pore volume of the porous alumina support being within a pore mode having a diameter in the range of from 3000 nm to 5000 nm.