Hydrodechlorination of aliphatic organochlorinated compounds over commercial hydrogenation catalysts

Eight commercial catalysts (Nickel-Raney, Ni on SiO2, Pd on alumina, Pt on both alumina and activated carbon, Rh on alumina, Ru on alumina and sulfided Ni–Mo on alumina) were tested as catalysts for the hydrodechlorination of the six organochlorinated compounds that are released into the environment in the greatest amounts: dichloromethane, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene. echlorination experiments were carried out in discontinuous micro-reactors at 50 bar of hydrogen and at 300°C, and during reaction times of 30, 60 and 90 min, using 4 vol% solutions of the organochlorinated compounds in heptane. Pt catalysts were found to yield the highest conversions for the reactions studied.