Process for hydrogenating unsaturated compounds

Claim 1

A process for hydrogenating an aliphatic unsaturated organic compound having from two to 20 carbon atoms which comprises contacting the same with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst composed of an amorphous support containing alumina and aluminum phosphate carrying from about three to about 60 weight percent nickel thereon, said support having an average pore radius of from 10 A to about 300 A, a surface area ranging from about 80 m 2 /g to about 350 m 2 /g and a pore volume of from about 0.3 cc/g to about 1.5 cc/g, said alumina being present in an amount ranging from about eight to about 40 mole percent and aluminum phosphate in an amount ranging from about mole 60 to about 92 percent wherein said unsaturated organic compound is passed over said catalyst at a liquid hourly space velocity of about 0.1 to about 20 while maintaining in the reaction zone a temperature of about 30° to about 350° C. and a hydrogen partial pressure of about 0 to about 1500 pounds per square inch gauge.