Effect of irradiation and of replacement of hydrogen by deuterium on the kinetics of hydrogenation of maleic acid on a nickel catalyst

The liquid phase hydrogenation reaction was studied of modifying a solid catalyst by irradiation and replacing the reacting hydrogen by deuterium; the changes in the reaction rate were measured and the phenomena on the catalyst surface, particularly the change in the catalyst activity, were investigated. For the model reaction, the dependences of the reaction rate on the temperature of reduction and of the successive activation of the catalyst by the absorbed gamma dose were followed, and the dependences of the reaction rate on the reaction temperature were compared for hydrogenation and deuteration. The isotope effect was found in the influence of the reacting medium on the catalyst property. The activity of the nickel carrier catalyst is governed by its interaction with hydrogen after reduction, particularly by the temperature of this process. (author)