Preparation and Characterization of Ultrafine Amorphous NiB Catalyst and Its Catalytic Performance in Hydrogenation

A series of ultrafine amorphous alloy NiB catalysts were prepared by chemical reduction through introducing KAl(SO4)2 and NaOH during preparation. The formation of Al(OH)3 is a key factor in preparing small particles, and the particle size of NiB is adjusted in certain range by changing the amount of Al(OH)3. When Al/Ni molar ratio is 1:1, the particle size of prepared NiB is just one sixth of NiB without adding Al(OH)3. The NiB catalysts exhibit increased activity with the larger amount of Al(OH)3 in hydrogenation reactions. When Al/Ni molar ratio is 1:1, the catalytic performance of corresponding NiB catalyst is three times as that of NiB without adding Al(OH)3 in the hydrogenation of furfural and nitrobenzene. The excellent catalytic performance of NiB catalyst is attributed to the smaller particle and higher surface area. Moreover, waste aluminum salt can be recycled in this preparation. © 2019, Editorial Office of Acta Petrolei Sinica(Petroleum Processing Section). All right reserved.