The nickel is found in the form of pure metal deposited onto an inert substrate such as diatomaceous earth.
If I remember correctly one procedure uses nickel nitrate coated Chromosorb 750 and thermally decomposes the nickel to metal from salt by heating the tube to a high temperature.
I think a company in California, SRI Instruments, sells a catalyst column.
www.srigc.com
Note health concerns with nickel catalysts such as the Raney catalyst from
http://en.wikipedia.org
Due to its large surface area and high volume of contained hydrogen gas, dry, activated Raney nickel is a pyrophoric material that should be handled under an inert atmosphere. Raney nickel is typically supplied as a 50-percent slurry in water. Care should be taken never to expose Raney nickel to air. Even after reaction, Raney nickel contains significant amounts of hydrogen gas, and will ignite when exposed to air.
Raney nickel will produce hazardous fumes when burning, and therefore the use of a gas mask is recommended when extinguishing fires caused by it. Additionally, acute exposure to Raney nickel may cause irritation of the respiratory tract, nasal cavities and pulmonary fibrosis if inhaled. Ingestion may lead to convulsions and intestinal disorders. It can also cause eye and skin irritation. Chronic exposure may lead to pneumonitis and other signs of sensitization to nickel like skin rashes ("nickel itch").
Nickel is also a proven carcinogen (IARC Group 2B, EU category 3) and teratogen, while the inhalation of fine aluminium oxide particles is associated with Shaver's disease. Care should be taken when handling these raw materials during laboratory preparation of Raney nickel. Moreover, activation of Raney nickel produces large amounts of hydrogen gas as a by-product, which is also highly flammable.
