Abstract: Highly loaded and dispersed Ni/Al₂O₃-B catalysts were prepared by the co-precipitation method with an n-butanol drying process. The loading of nickel and drying process were found to be the two key factors in determining the surface area and pore structures of catalysts as well as the reducibility and dispersion of supported nickel. The 80%Ni/Al₂O₃-B treated with n-butanol during the drying process exhibited the high surface area and high reducibility and dispersion of supported nickel, leading to the high active nickel surface area (90 m²/g-catalyst). It adsorbed toluene strongly and thus exhibited high activity for the hydrogenation of aromatic rings in toluene and phenol.

Key words: Ni/Al2O3 catalyst, drying with n-butanol, active metal surface area, microcalorimetric adsorption, hydrogenation of toluene, hydrogenation of phenol