A survey of commercially available hydrogenation catalysts has been made in a search for high‐selectivity and low‐isomerizing characteristics. Selectivity舒the ratio of hydrogenation rates for linolenate to linoleate舒was determined on a linoleate‐linolenate equimixture under standardized conditions. Ratios of reaction rate constants for nickel catalysts at 140C ranged between 1.48 and 2.71; for palladium catalysts at 25C, 1.68 to 1.99; and for platinum catalysts at 25C, 1.33 to 1.61.Trans contents of ester mixtures reduced with these three metal catalysts ranged from 18.0 to 22.8, 16.7 to 20.5, and 6.3 to 8.4%, respectively. Although platinum catalysts produced the lowest isomerization, their selectivities were also low.