Process for hydrogenating unsaturated compounds

Claim 1

A process for hydrogenating an unsaturated aliphatic organic compound having from two to 20 carbon atoms which comprises contacting the same with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst composed of about three to about 60 weight percent nickel mounted on an amorphous support containing (1) (A) a Group IIB metal compound selected from the group consisting of zinc and cadmium compounds, (B) a combination of said zinc and cadmium compounds or (C) a combination of at least one of said Group IIB metal compounds with at least one Group IIA metal compound selected from the group consisting of magnesium, calcium, strontium and barium compounds, (2) alumina and (3) aluminum phosphate, such support having an average pore radius of from about 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 Group IIB, and IIA, when present, metal compound being present in an amount ranging from about two to about 35 mole percent, alumina in an amount ranging from about 15 to about 60 mole percent and aluminum phosphate in an amount ranging from about 2.5 to about 80 mole 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.