Raney nickel

noun

Ra·​ney nickel

ˈrānē-

: a finely divided nickel in the form of a pyrophoric powder or crystals or a suspension (as in alcohol) that is prepared from an alloy of equal parts of nickel and aluminum by dissolving the aluminum in warm sodium hydroxide solution and rinsing thoroughly and that is used as a catalyst for the hydrogenation of various organic compounds

Word History

Etymology

after Murray Raney †1966 American engineer and manufacturer

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