Catalytic hydrogenation of aromatic nitro compounds to amines

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING A MONONUCLEAR AROMATIC PRIMARY AMINE BY THE VAPOR-PHASE CATALYTIC REDUCTION OF THE CORRESPONDING MONONUCLEAR AROMATIC NITRO HYDROCARBON WITH HYDROGEN, WHICH COMPRISES CONTACTING A MIXTURE OF VAPOR OF SAID MONONUCLEAR AROMATIC NITRO HYDROCARBON AND AT LEAST 4 1/2 MOLS OF HYDROGEN PER MOL OF NITRO HYDROCARBON, AT A TEMPERATURE OF 250* TO 450* C., WITH A CATALYST ESSENTIALLY COMPRISING AN INTIMATE MIXTURE OF NICKEL SULFIDE AND AMORPHOUS ALUMINA, THE AMOUNT OF ALUMINA BEING ABOUT 10% TO ABOUT 90% OF THE WEIGHT OF THE NICKLE SULFIDE-ALUMINA CATALYST, SAID CATALYST HAVING BEEN OBTAINED, BY A PROCEDURE INCLUDING A SULFIDING TREATMENT, FROM A MIXTURE OF PRECIPITATES OF INSOLUBLE NICKEL AND ALUMINUM COMPOUNDS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF NICKEL AND ALUMINUM HYDROXIDES AND CARBONATES PRODUCED FROM WATER-SOLUBLE NICKEL AND ALUMINUM SALTS BY ALKALINE PRECIPITATION.