Selective Hydrogenation of Concentrated Vinyl Acetylene Mixed C4 by Modified Pd Catalysts: Effect of Cu

The Pd and Pd-Cu on alumina catalysts were tested for hydrogenation of vinyl acetylene in mixed C4 in a circulating tubular reactor. The results showed that adding proper amounts of Cu improved the reaction activity, but inhibited 1,3-butadiene selectivity. Moreover, the presence of Cu retarded the carbon deposition on catalysts during the reaction. Temperature programmed oxidation (TPO), Temperature programmed reduction (TPR), H2 chemisorption, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were utilized to characterize the catalysts. The characterization suggested both geometric and electronic modifications