An object of the present invention is to provide a catalyst capable of improving the selectivity of unsaturated aldehydes and unsaturated carboxylic acids, and a catalyst containing molybdenum, antimony, bismuth, and iron, wherein an atom ratio of the antimony to the molybdenum on a surface of the catalyst is greater than an atom ratio of the antimony to the molybdenum in the entire catalyst is provided.

An object of the present invention is to provide a catalyst capable of improving the selectivity of unsaturated aldehydes and unsaturated carboxylic acids, and a catalyst containing molybdenum, antimony, bismuth, and iron, wherein an atom ratio of the antimony to the molybdenum on a surface of the catalyst is greater than an atom ratio of the antimony to the molybdenum in the entire catalyst is provided.

A method is described for producing a catalyst having a high raw material conversion rate and a high product selectivity, as well as an excellent yield of unsaturated carboxylic acid, the catalyst being used in a vapor-phase catalytic oxidation reaction for producing an unsaturated carboxylic acid such as acrylic acid or methacrolein from an unsaturated aldehyde such as acrolein or methacrolein. The method includes a molding process of molding a powder containing a catalyst component element to produce a catalyst precursor, where a sulfur-containing inorganic compound is added to the powder, and the powder is molded in the molding process.

A method is described for producing a catalyst having a high raw material conversion rate and a high product selectivity, as well as an excellent yield of unsaturated carboxylic acid, the catalyst being used in a vapor-phase catalytic oxidation reaction for producing an unsaturated carboxylic acid such as acrylic acid or methacrolein from an unsaturated aldehyde such as acrolein or methacrolein. The method includes a molding process of molding a powder containing a catalyst component element to produce a catalyst precursor, where a sulfur-containing inorganic compound is added to the powder, and the powder is molded in the molding process.

A process can be used for producing methacrylic acid or a methacrylic acid ester. The process involves producing acrolein, reacting the produced acrolein with hydrogen to produce propanal, reacting the propanal with formaldehyde to produce methacrolein, and oxidizing the methacrolein in the presence of an oxygen containing gas and optionally an alcohol, to obtain methacrylic acid or methacrylic acid ester.

A process can be used for producing methacrylic acid or a methacrylic acid ester. The process involves producing acrolein, reacting the produced acrolein with hydrogen to produce propanal, reacting the propanal with formaldehyde to produce methacrolein, and oxidizing the methacrolein in the presence of an oxygen containing gas and optionally an alcohol, to obtain methacrylic acid or methacrylic acid ester.

An improved process can be used for the production of methacrylates, in particular methacrylic acid and/or methyl methacrylate (MMA). Specific embodiments of this process can be used for the safe and efficient production of these products from C-4-based raw materials, in particular those based on isobutylene or tort-butanol as raw materials. With this novel process, it is possible to operate such processes for a longer period of time without any safety or cleaning related shutdowns. This makes it possible to carry out such processes as simple, economic, and environmentally friendly as possible.

An improved process can be used for the production of methacrylates, in particular methacrylic acid and/or methyl methacrylate (MMA). Specific embodiments of this process can be used for the safe and efficient production of these products from C-4-based raw materials, in particular those based on isobutylene or tort-butanol as raw materials. With this novel process, it is possible to operate such processes for a longer period of time without any safety or cleaning related shutdowns. This makes it possible to carry out such processes as simple, economic, and environmentally friendly as possible.

An object of the present invention is to provide a catalyst ensuring that when a gas-phase catalytic oxidation reaction of a material substance is conducted using a catalyst to produce a target substance, the pressure loss and coking are suppressed and the target substance can be produced in high yield. The present invention is related to a ring-shaped catalyst having a straight body part and a hollow body part, which is used when a gas-phase catalytic oxidation reaction of a material substance is conducted to produce a target substance, wherein a length of the straight body part is shorter than a length of the hollow body part and at least at one end part, a region from an end part of the straight body part to an end part of the hollow body part is concavely curved.

An object of the present invention is to provide a catalyst ensuring that when a gas-phase catalytic oxidation reaction of a material substance is conducted using a catalyst to produce a target substance, the pressure loss and coking are suppressed and the target substance can be produced in high yield. The present invention is related to a ring-shaped catalyst having a straight body part and a hollow body part, which is used when a gas-phase catalytic oxidation reaction of a material substance is conducted to produce a target substance, wherein a length of the straight body part is shorter than a length of the hollow body part and at least at one end part, a region from an end part of the straight body part to an end part of the hollow body part is concavely curved.