Hydrogenation of chemical compounds and catalysts therefor

Claim 1

THE METHOD FOR PREPARING A HYDROGENATION CATALYST WHICH COMPRISES REACTING A WATER-SOLUBLE BOROHYDRIDE WITH A WATER-SOLUBLE NICKEL SALT IN THE JPROPORTION OF ABOUT 0.25 MOLE TO ABOUT 1 MOLE OF BOROHYDRIDE FOR EACH MOLE OF NICKEL SALT IN A LIQUID MEDIUM CONSISTING ESSENTIALLLY OF WATER CONTAINING A COMPLEXING AGENT FOR THE NICKEL SALT IN AN AMOUNT NOT SUBSTANTIALLY MORE THAN THAT REQUIRED TO COMPLEX THE NICKEL SALT TO CAUSE PRECIPITATION OF A NICKEL CATALYST, AND SEPARATING THE PRECIPITATED CATALYST, SAID BOROHYDRIDE BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SODIUM BOROHYDRIDE, LITHIUM BOROHYDRIDE, POTASSIUM BOROHYDRIDE, MAGNESIUM BOROHYDRIDE, CALCIUM BOROHYDRIDE, AND A QUATERNARY AMMONIUM BOROHYDRIDE, SAID COMPLEXING AGENT BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF AMMONIA, METHYLAMINE, ETHYLAMINE, ISOPROPYLAMINE, DIMETHYLAMINE, DIETHYLAMINE, TRIETHYLAMINE, MORPHOLINE, N-METHYLMORPHOLINE, ETHANOLAMINE, DIETHANOLAMINE, TRIETHANOLAMINE, ANILINE, PYRIDINE, PIPERIDINE, TARTARIC ACID, CITRIC ACID, AND CATECHOL.

Claim 2

THE METHOD FOR PREPARING A HYDROGENATION CATALYST WHICH COMPRISES REACTING A WATER-SOLUBLE BOROHYDRIDE WITH A WATER-SOLUBLE NICKEL SALT IN THE JPROPORTION OF ABOUT 0.25 MOLE TO ABOUT 1 MOLE OF BOROHYDRIDE FOR EACH MOLE OF NICKEL SALT IN A LIQUID MEDIUM CONSISTING ESSENTIALLLY OF WATER CONTAINING A COMPLEXING AGENT FOR THE NICKEL SALT IN AN AMOUNT NOT SUBSTANTIALLY MORE THAN THAT REQUIRED TO COMPLEX THE NICKEL SALT TO CAUSE PRECIPITATION OF A NICKEL CATALYST, AND SEPARATING THE PRECIPITATED CATALYST, SAID BOROHYDRIDE BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SODIUM BOROHYDRIDE, LITHIUM BOROHYDRIDE, POTASSIUM BOROHYDRIDE, MAGNESIUM BOROHYDRIDE, CALCIUM BOROHYDRIDE, AND A QUATERNARY AMMONIUM BOROHYDRIDE, SAID COMPLEXING AGENT BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF AMMONIA, METHYLAMINE, ETHYLAMINE, ISOPROPYLAMINE, DIMETHYLAMINE, DIETHYLAMINE, TRIETHYLAMINE, MORPHOLINE, N-METHYLMORPHOLINE, ETHANOLAMINE, DIETHANOLAMINE, TRIETHANOLAMINE, ANILINE, PYRIDINE, PIPERIDINE, TARTARIC ACID, CITRIC ACID, AND CATECHOL.