A method for preparing a copper-containing catalyst is described comprising the steps of: (a) combining an acidic copper-containing solution with a basic precipitant solution in a first precipitation step to form a first precipitate, (b) combining an alkali metal aluminate solution with an acidic solution in a second precipitation step to form a second precipitate, (c) contacting the first and second precipitates together in a further precipitate mixing step to form a catalyst precursor, and (d) washing, drying and calcining the catalyst precursor to form the copper-containing catalyst, wherein at least 70% by weight of the copper in the catalyst is present in the first precipitate and a silica precursor is included in the first precipitation step, the second precipitation step or the precipitate mixing step, to provide a catalyst with a silica content, expressed as SiO.sub.2, in the range of 0.1 to 5.0 wt %.

A method for preparing a copper-containing catalyst is described comprising the steps of: (a) combining an acidic copper-containing solution with a basic precipitant solution in a first precipitation step to form a first precipitate, (b) combining an alkali metal aluminate solution with an acidic solution in a second precipitation step to form a second precipitate, (c) contacting the first and second precipitates together in a further precipitate mixing step to form a catalyst precursor, and (d) washing, drying and calcining the catalyst precursor to form the copper-containing catalyst, wherein at least 70% by weight of the copper in the catalyst is present in the first precipitate and a silica precursor is included in the first precipitation step, the second precipitation step or the precipitate mixing step, to provide a catalyst with a silica content, expressed as SiO.sub.2, in the range of 0.1 to 5.0 wt %.

The invention describes metal catalysts such as Pt single-site centers on metal oxide supports, e.g., powdered supports, such as MgO, Al.sub.2O.sub.3, CeO.sub.2 or mixtures thereof with di-nitrogen containing ligands.

The invention describes metal catalysts such as Pt single-site centers on metal oxide supports, e.g., powdered supports, such as MgO, Al.sub.2O.sub.3, CeO.sub.2 or mixtures thereof with di-nitrogen containing ligands.

A process for converting magnesium chloride into magnesium oxide having the steps of: subjecting a magnesium chloride solution to a spray drying step in a spray-drying apparatus at a temperature of 300-475 C., resulting in the formation of a spray-dried product having 10-80 wt. % magnesium oxide and 20-90 wt. % of the total of magnesium hydroxychloride and magnesium chloride, subjecting the product of the spray drying step to a roasting step in a roaster at a temperature of 600-900 C. in the presence of water, resulting in the formation of a product having at least 98 wt. % of MgO, and less than 2 wt. % of the total of magnesium hydroxychloride and magnesium chloride, wherein the percentages of MgO, magnesium hydroxychloride and magnesium chloride, are calculated on the total of MgO, magnesium hydroxychloride and magnesium chloride.