In order to compare the behavior and physical chemistry properties of metallic catalysts supported on zeolites and their
influence on the hydrogenation of castor oil, catalysts with different nickel contents supported on NaY zeolites were
prepared and characterized. The NiNaY catalysts were compared with commercial Ni-Raney. Results indicate that the
catalysts supported on zeolite with a nickel content of 5.0 wt.% were more effective than Ni-Raney catalyst in the
hydrogenation of castor oil. In this work, we used Raman spectroscopy as an alternative method to determine the degree of
hydrogenation. The results indicate that the Raman spectroscopy is faster than the conventional Wijs chemical method, more
economical, and has an equivalent degree of precision regarding the iodide index. q2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights
reserved.