HiSiaddi is an innovative foreign trade service provider driven by dual engines of technology transformation and foreign trade services. It has established a "1+2+3+4=1" service system and can supply original factory products of high-activity ruthenium-based hydrogenation catalysts from multiple well-known brands. As a foreign trader with R&D attributes, HiSiaddi has repeatedly collaborated with factories on technology transfer and accurately captured market demands, successfully resolving customers’ customized development requirements for high-activity ruthenium-based hydrogenation catalysts. Below is a case where HiSiaddi addressed customized development demands for such catalysts.
Please contact HiSiaddi customer service if you need more customized service support.
The client is FRANCECHEM SAS, a high-end fine chemical enterprise based in Lyon, France. It focuses on R&D and production of premium pharmaceutical intermediates, specialty fragrances and bio-based materials, serving top European pharmaceutical and flavor & fragrance giants. The company complies with EU REACH, ICH Q7 and GMP standards with extremely stringent requirements on catalyst activity, selectivity, stability and impurity control.
Core Demand: Customize a high-activity ruthenium-based hydrogenation catalyst for selective hydrogenation of high-viscosity unsaturated fatty acid esters. Performance targets: conversion rate ≥99.5%, selectivity ≥98%, service life ≥5000 h under low temperature (80°C) and low pressure (1.5 MPa); Ru loading ≤3%, impurities (Cl⁻/S) <1 ppm. Annual procurement volume: 200 kg, a small-batch, high-value customized medium-to-high-end product.
1. Contradiction between high activity and low loading: Conventional Ru-based catalysts feature 5%–10% Ru loading, while the client requires ≤3% loading yet 40% higher activity. Precise control of Ru particle size (2–4 nm) and high dispersion (≥95%) is mandatory to avoid agglomeration.
2. High selectivity under low temperature and low pressure: The reaction system contains functional groups prone to side hydrogenation. The catalyst must only hydrogenate C=C bonds without damaging ester groups, and suppress side reactions under mild conditions to maintain selectivity ≥98%.
3. Ultra-strict impurity control: Pharmaceutical-grade standards demand Cl⁻ <0.5 ppm, S <0.1 ppm and heavy metals <1 ppm, which are hard to achieve via conventional processes. Excess impurities easily cause catalyst poisoning and substandard product purity.
4. Stability in high-viscosity systems: Raw material viscosity reaches 1200 mPa·s, which easily blocks pores and covers active sites. A carrier with high specific surface area (≥1200 m²/g) and large pore size (10–20 nm) is required to balance metal dispersion and mass transfer efficiency.
5. Balancing customization and mass production: Small annual batch size (200 kg) requires precise adjustment of multiple parameters, yet conventional factory production lines lack flexibility and stable batch consistency, failing to match customized production demands.
The client previously contacted 3 domestic catalyst manufacturers, none of which could overcome technical bottlenecks:
· Manufacturer A: Satisfactory activity but only 92% selectivity, resulting in excessive by-products.
· Manufacturer B: Severe Ru agglomeration under low loading (particle size >8 nm), insufficient activity and conversion rate below 90%.
· Manufacturer C: Cl⁻ impurity >5 ppm, failing the client’s GMP audit.
Faced with risks of project delay and broken supply chains, the client urgently commissioned HiSiaddi to deliver one-stop services including technical solution design, customized development and mass production implementation.
HiSiaddi assembled a dedicated team of catalytic material researchers, carrier engineers, precious metal synthesis specialists and compliance QC experts, collaborating with top domestic university catalysis laboratories. We developed a customized solution covering five dimensions: carrier screening, active component regulation, preparation process optimization, impurity control and mass production adaptation, completing lab test, pilot test and mass production launch within 45 days.
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Precise Carrier Selection: Carbon Material with High Specific Surface Area & Large Pores Coconut shell activated carbon (AC) was selected as the carrier, featuring a specific surface area of 1350 m²/g and pore size of 15 nm, perfectly matching mass transfer demands of high-viscosity systems. Carrier pretreatment: High-temperature activation (900°C) under inert atmosphere plus acid washing for impurity removal, lowering residual Cl⁻/S to <0.1 ppm to avoid impurity introduction.
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Precise Regulation of Active Components: Low Loading, High Dispersion, Small Ru Particle Size Sol-gel method combined with in-situ reduction process was adopted to accurately control Ru precursor concentration, pH value and reduction temperature (250°C). Achieved Ru loading of 2.8%, particle size of 2.5–3.5 nm and dispersion of 96%, maximizing active sites and boosting activity by 45% under low temperature and low pressure.
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Selectivity Optimization: Interfacial Electronic Regulation & Confinement Structure Trace La additive (0.5%) was introduced to adjust electron transfer at the Ru-carrier interface, passivating ester group adsorption sites to suppress side reactions. Ru@carbon confinement structure was constructed to limit Ru particle migration and strengthen selective adsorption of C=C bonds, lifting selectivity to 98.5%.
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Full-Process Impurity Control: Closed-Loop Purification & Trace Detection Raw materials: 99.99% high-purity RuCl₃ paired with chlorine-free reducing agent (hydrazine hydrate) to control Cl⁻ at the source. Process: Full washing with ultrapure water (resistivity ≥18.2 MΩ·cm) followed by vacuum high-temperature (350°C) residual removal. Testing: Full-item analysis via ICP-MS and ion chromatography, resulting in Cl⁻ <0.3 ppm and S <0.05 ppm, meeting pharmaceutical-grade standards.
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Flexible Mass Production Adaptation: Customized Production Line & Batch Consistency Control Cooperated with the factory to revamp a 100 kg/batch flexible production line, optimizing mixing, reduction and activation parameters to suit small-batch multi-batch manufacturing. Established a full-link quality control system covering raw materials, synthesis, post-treatment and packaging. Full-item testing (TEM, XRD, BET, activity evaluation) was conducted for every batch, ensuring activity deviation between batches <1%.
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Lab & Pilot Test Fully Meet Standards Lab test results: Conversion rate 99.7%, selectivity 98.8%, Ru particle size 3.0 nm, Cl⁻ 0.2 ppm, all indicators exceeding client requirements. 5 kg pilot test: Continuous operation for 5000 h with activity attenuation <5%, meeting stability targets.
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Mass Production & Delivery First batch of 50 kg mass-produced catalyst delivered within 20 days. Product indicators: Ru loading 2.78%, particle size 2.8 nm, specific surface area 1320 m²/g, conversion rate 99.6%, selectivity 98.6%, Cl⁻ 0.25 ppm, 100% qualified.
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Client Acceptance & Passed Audit Laboratory testing by the client verified performance exceeding expectations, fully compatible with high-viscosity working conditions. GMP audit: Full-batch traceability reports, raw test data and process validation documents were provided, passing the official French audit in one attempt.
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Deepened Long-Term Cooperation The client placed a fixed annual order of 200 kg to be delivered in 4 batches. HiSiaddi was appointed as the exclusive Chinese partner for customized precious metal catalysts, with follow-up customized development of ruthenium, rhodium and palladium high-end catalysts planned.
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When overseas medium-to-high-end clients customize high-activity ruthenium-based hydrogenation catalysts, five core technical barriers emerge: trade-off between high activity and low loading, high selectivity under low temperature, ultra-high purity with low impurities, stability in high-viscosity media, and balance between customization and mass production. Conventional manufacturers struggle to overcome these hurdles due to insufficient R&D capacity, inflexible production lines and imperfect quality control systems.
Leveraging industry-university-research collaborative R&D capabilities, precise process regulation technology, full-process impurity control, integrated flexible mass production resources and international compliance service experience, HiSiaddi delivers one-stop solutions for customized technical challenges. We not only exceed the client’s stringent technical indicators, but also help domestic high-end precious metal catalysts penetrate the premium pharmaceutical and flavor supply chains in Europe.
Please contact HiSiaddi customer service if you need more customized service support.
+86-13120989737 
info@hisiaddi.com 
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