Hydrogenation of benzene-dicarboxylic acid esters, on a supported catalyst, to the corresponding cyclohexane derivatives with very high selectivity and yields

摘要

The hydrogenation of esters of benzene-dicarboxylic acids is carried out on supported catalysts containing a Sub-Group VIIII metal on a macroporous support. A process for the hydrogenation of benzene-dicarboxylic acid ester(s) with hydrogen in presence of a supported catalyst containing Sub-Group VIII metal(s) on a macroporous support. If the ester is dimethyl terephthalate, this excludes hydrogenation on a catalyst containing ruthenium, with or without Sub-Group I, VII or VIII metal(s), on a support with an average pore diameter (APD) of at least 50 nm and a BET surface of not more than 30 m2/g, with an active metal content of 0.01-30 wt.% and a ratio of (active metal surface):(support surface) of less than 0.05, and/or on a catalyst containing 0.01-30 wt.% active metal(s) as above on a support in which 10-50 vol.% of the pores consist of macropores with a diameter of 50-10,000 nm and 50-90 vol.% consist of mesopores with a diameter of 2-50 nm.