Process for preparing a catalyst for the hydrogenation of aromatics, comprising a step of forming a Ni—Cu alloy in pre-impregnation

A process for preparing a catalyst for the hydrogenation of aromatic or polyaromatic compounds comprising nickel, in a proportion of 20% to 45% by weight of nickel element relative to the total weight of the catalyst, and copper, in a proportion of 0.5% to 15% by weight of copper element relative to the total weight of the catalyst, and a support comprising at least one refractory oxide chosen from silica, alumina and silica-alumina, said process consisting of the following steps:

• a) a step of bringing the support into contact with at least one solution consisting of, as metal precursors in said solution, of at least one copper precursor and one nickel precursor at a desired nickel concentration in order to obtain, on the final catalyst, a content of between 0.5% and 15% by weight of nickel element relative to the total weight of the final catalyst;
• b) at least one step of drying the catalyst precursor resulting from step a) at a temperature of less than 250° C.;
• c) optionally, a heat treatment of the catalyst precursor obtained at the end of step b) at a temperature of between 250 and 1000° C., in the presence or absence of water;
• d) the catalyst precursor resulting from step b), or optionally step c), is reduced by bringing said catalyst precursor into contact with a reducing gas at a temperature of between 150 and 250° C.;
• e) a step of bringing the catalyst precursor obtained at the end of step d) into contact with a solution consisting of, as a metal precursor in said solution, of at least one nickel precursor;
• f) at least one step of drying the catalyst precursor resulting from step e) at a temperature of less than 250° C.;
• g) optionally, a heat treatment of the catalyst precursor obtained at the end of step f) at a temperature of between 250 and 1000° C., in the presence or absence of water;
• h) the catalyst precursor resulting from step f), or optionally step g), is reduced by bringing said catalyst precursor into contact with a reducing gas at a temperature of between 150 and 250° C.