Selective hydrogenation of maleic anhydride over Pd/Al2O 3 catalysts prepared via colloid deposition

Abstract

Pd/Al2O3 catalysts were prepared via colloid deposition and the performance of the catalysts was examined in the selective hydrogenation of maleic anhydride to succinic anhydride. When the reaction was carried on in a batch system with 1,4-dioxane as the solvent (353K and 1.0MPa), high conversion of maleic anhydride (>98%) and high selectivity (>99%) for succinic anhydride were observed after 5 h. The as-prepared Pd/Al 2O3 catalyst also showed excellent performance in solvent-free system and fixed-bed systems. The maleic anhydride (MA) conversion was greater than 98%, and high selectivity (>99%) for succinic anhydride was obtained after 1600 h in a fixed bed reacter. The results showed that the activity of the Pd/Al2O3 catalysts was excellent due to its high active surface area. © Indian Academy of Sciences.