Title: Selectivity in Hydrogenolysis of Paraffinic Hydrocarbons on Nickel Catalyst
Abstract: Hydrogenolysis of several paraffinic hydrocarbons, straight (n-heptane, n-decane) and branched (i-pentane, 3-methylpentane, i-octane), was carried out over a nickel-silica gel catalyst (Ni 8.0 wt%) in the temperature range of 300 to 400°C. Under high partial pressures of hydrogen, predominant reaction was successive degradation to methane and a hydrocarbon containing one carbon atom less than the reactant hydrocarbon. So, primary products of heptane hydrogenolysis were methane and hexane. In the case of decane hydrogenolysis, the selectivity in splitting of terminal C-C bonds was somewhat lower than in the hydrogenolysis of heptane.In the case of i-paraffinic hydrocarbons, methyl groups not attached to quarternary carbon atoms were selectively removed. Methyl groups attached to quarternary carbon of isooctane were stable and scarecely removed to leave neopentane. The methyl groups bonded to secondary carbon atoms were found to be somewhat reactive than those bonded to tertiary carbon atoms.