Catalytic Hydrogenation Performance of Methyl Isobutyl Ketone over Ni/γ-Al2O3 Catalysts

Supported nickel-based catalysts were prepared by the incipient wetness impregnation method for the selective hydrogenation of methyl isobutyl ketone to methyl isobutyl carbinol in a fixed-bed reactor. The effects of the nickel source, Ni loading, calcination time, and calcination temperature on the hydrogenation performance were studied. The experimental results showed that the Ni/gamma-Al2O3 catalyst demonstrated the highest catalytic performance under the preparation conditions by using nickel nitrate as the nickel source with a NiO loading of 20%, followed by calcination at 440 degrees C for 5 h. In addition, this catalyst showed the largest specific surface area, best aystal structure, highest active component content, smallest particle size, and unifonn distribution of NiO on the surface of the carrier. The nickel-based catalyst prepared using the optimized conditions exhibited a 96.1% conversion of methyl isobutyl ketone, with a methyl isobutyl carbinol selectivity of 99.6%. The described procedure is very effective for the preparation of methyl isobutyl carbinol using methyl isobutyl ketone as the feedstock.