Effect of Catalyst Constituents on (Ni, Mo, and Cu)/Kieselguhr-Catalyzed Sucrose Hydrogenolysis

The multicomponent (Ni, Mo, and Cu) catalyst supported on kieselguhr was found to have a high activity for the hydrogenolysis of sucrose to produce industrially important glycerol, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, and sorbitol. The catalyst was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and surface area measurement. The presence of Ni is very common in most of the catalysts used for this process. The presence of Mo and Cu promotes the activity of Ni when supported on kieselguhr. The concentrations of Ni, Mo, and Cu in the catalyst have been optimized to yield maximum glycerol during sucrose hydrogenolysis.