ABSTRACT
The fresh activated nickel catalyst (ANC) was found to react exothermically with ethyl acetate initially at 76°C and more violently after ll6°C. The presence of water suppressed this interaction and heating the catalyst in only water generated the lowest exotherm measured in this study. The spent catalyst was not as sensitive to ethyl acetate as the fresh one, and treatments that partially cleaned its metal surface increased the global exothermicity of this reaction.
