Hydrogenation of naphthalene on nickel phosphide supported on silica

Two series of silica supported nickel phosphide catalysts with different Ni/P atomic ratios of the precursors and loadings had been prepared by a temperature‐programmed reduction of nickel phosphate. The resulting samples were characterized by means of N 2 physorption and X‐ray diffraction (XRD). The activities of the catalysts were measured for naphthalene hydrogenation (HYD) at 340 °C and 4 MPa. The operating conditions of naphthalene HYD such as temperature, pressure and H 2 /liquor ratio were tested in detail. It is found that all the samples were active in this reaction and the sample which precursor with Ni/P = 1.25 and loading with 30 wt% displayed the highest catalytic activity and decalin selectivity. Naphthalene conversion and selectivity to decalin went through a maximum (100% and 83% at 340 °C) with the increasing reaction temperature. Copyright © 2009 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.