Treatment to improve the durability and selectivity of a hydrodechlorination catalyst and catalyst

Abstract

The durability and selectivity of a supported nobel metal hydrodeclorination catalyst can be improved by treating the supported catalyst, which comprises support and catalytic noble metal, with a late transition metal halide salt, a post transition metal containing halide salt, or a combination thereof, and with an alkali metal halide, ammonium halide, or a combination thereof. Suitable late transition metal and post transition metal halides for use herein include zinc chloride, tin chloride, and cupric chloride. A suitable alkali metal halide for use herein include lithium chloride. The novel resulting supported catalyst has its noble metal component, which is in the zero valent state, predominantly residing adjacent the surface of the support in a form which is predominantly visible under a microscope having a resolution of about 5 .ANG.. The catalyst also comprises the late transition metal, the post transition metal, or combination thereof, in the presence of the alkali metal moiety, ammonium moiety, or combination thereof.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.