Selective Catalysis. The Catalytic Reaction between Acetylene and Hydrogen

Abstract 1) The catalytic hydrogenation of acetylene was investigated by Pd-Alumina under various conditions. 2) The hydrogenation of acetylene proceeds in two distinct steps. The first step consists of the reduction and polymerization of acetylene, and the second step the reduction of ethylene to ethane. The second reaction starts after all of the acetylene is reduced to ethylene, and is indicated by a sudden increase in the rate of hydrogenation. 3) The results indicate that acetylene is strongly adsorbed on the surface of the catalyst and the inhibition of the hydrogenation by acetylene is pronounced. 4) It was found that the final products of the hydrogenation can be made wholly into ethylene or ethane and that the highest yield of ethylene is obtained possibly, when acetylene content is small, by avoiding the polymerization of acetylene.