Selective hydrogenation of cycloalkadienes

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE SELECTIVE HYDROGENATION OF A CYCLOALKADIENE CORRESPONDING TOTHE EMPIRICAL FORMULA OF CNR''R2M-5 WHEREIN R IS A MEMBER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF HYDROGEN AND (LOWER) ALKYL RADICALS R'' IS A MEMBER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF HYDROGEN, (LOWER) ALKYL AND PHENYL, AND N IS AN INTEGER HAVING A VALUE FROM 6 TO 12, TO ITS CORRESPONDING CYCLOALKENE CORRESPONDING TO THE EMPIRICAL FORMULA OF CNH2R''R2N-5, WHEREIN R, R'' AND N HAVE THE VALUES GIVEN ABOVE, WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF (1) CONTACTING THE CYCLOALKADIENE WITH HYDROGEN, UNDER A POSITIVE PRESSURE OF HYDROGEN OF UP TO ABOUT 500 P.S.I.G., AND A CATALYTIC MATERIAL CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF AN ALKALI METAL DISPERSED ON AN ACTIVATED ALUMINA SUPPORT, THE SUPPORT HAVING A SURFACE AREA IN THE RANGE OF FROM ABOUT 25 TO 400 SQ. METERS PER GRAM AT A REACTION TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF FROM ABOUT 0*C. TO 200*C., AND FOR A PERIOD OF TIME SUFFICIENT TO EFFECT THE REACTION BETWEEN THE HYDROGEN AND THE CYCLOALKADIENE IN ABOUT A MOLE FOR MOLE RATIO, WHEREBY A REACTION PRODUCT OF PREDOMINANTLY THE CORRESPONDING CYCLOALKENE IS FORMED; AND (2) RECOVERING THE SAID CYCLOALKENE PRODUCT.