Question

Explain hydrogenation with the help of a chemical equation. State the role of this reaction in industry.

What is the industrial application of hydrogenation?

Answer 1

Hydrogenation is an addition reaction used mainly to reduce saturated hydrocarbons. For Example, when ethene is heated with the catalyst nickel, it is reduced to ethane.

Industrial application:

1.  Hydrogenation is used in many industrial applications. For example, in the Petrochemical Industry, hydrogenation converts alkenes into alkanes (paraffin) and cycloalkanes.
2. It is also used to prepare vegetable ghee from vegetable oils.

Answer 2

Unsaturated hydrocarbons combine with hydrogen to form saturated compounds. This process is called hydrogenation. Hydrogenation is used to make ghee (saturated fat) from vegetable oils (unsaturated fat).

\[\ce{{Vegetable oil} + H2 ->[Ni][473K] {Vegetable ghee}}\]