The Hydrogenation of Castor Oil with Raney Nickel Catalyst

A recent survey of the literature pertaining to the hydrogenation of oils indicates that only a small fraction of the work done in this field has been devoted to a thorough study of the hydrogenation of castor oil. The research which has been carried out is primarily concerned with the high pressure-high temperature hydrogenation of the oil with little attention being paid to the study of the low pressure-low temperature hydrogenation. The results as obtained by the latter method differ remarkably from those carried out at extreme conditions of temperature and pressure. It, therefore, appeared advisable to make a study of the hydrogenation of castor oil under the conditions mentioned, using pressures no greater than forty pounds per square-inch and temperatures no greater than two-hundred degrees Centigrade. The problem was to determine the effect of time, temperature, and pressure on the constants of castor oil hydrogenated at low temperatures and pressures with special reference to the amount of hydrogen consumed during the operation. By holding two of the above conditions constant, the effect of the third was determined