Selective hydrogenation of soybean oil with sodium borohydride‐reduced catalysts

The reaction of metallic salts in aqueous solution with sodium borohydride produces finely divided metals that are catalytically active for hydrogenation. Salts of nickel, cobalt, palladium and platinum give active catalysts for the selective hydrogenation of soybean oil. Iron and silver salts, when reduced with sodium borohydride, show no activity at 200C and atmospheric hydrogen pressure. The cobalt catalyst produces the least amount of stearate. Incorporation of palladium, platinum, copper or chromium up to 2% enhance the activity of the nickel catalyst. Copper and chromium salts, when reduced together, form catalysts that hydrogenate linolenyl groups in soybean oil seven times more rapidly than linoleyl groups. No stearate formation is observed with these binary catalysts.