A thermal method of forming ferric oxide nano/microparticles with predominant morphology is described using different solvents. Methods of using the Fe.sub.3O.sub.4 nano/microparticles as catalysts in the reduction of nitro compounds with sodium borohydride to the corresponding amines and decomposition of ammonium salts.

The present invention relates to a calcined shaped alumina and to a method of preparing a calcined shaped alumina. The method comprises that the alumina in the alumina suspension is hydrothermally aged to have a specific crystallite size. This in turn produces a highly stable alumina in the form of a calcined shaped alumina particularly at temperatures of 1200 C. and above.

A nanostructured titania semiconductor material termed TSG-IMP having a predetermined crystal size is produced by a sol-gel method by adding a titanium alkoxide to an alcoholic solution, adding an acid to the alcoholic solution, subjecting the acidic solution to agitation under reflux conditions; stabilizing the medium and adding bidistilled water under reflux until gelation; subjecting the gel to aging until complete formation of the titania which is dried and calcined.

Small crystal LTL framework type zeolites, characterized as polycrystalline aggregates, each of the aggregates comprising a plurality of spherical or cube-like crystallites and wherein each crystallite has an average crystallite size of from 10 to 50 nm, are disclosed. Such zeolites can be prepared by hydrothermal conversion of FAU framework type zeolites at low H.sub.2O/SiO.sub.2 mole ratios.

The present invention provides an improved method for making molecular sieves having MWW framework structure using precipitated aluminosilicates (PAS), and the use of molecular sieves so made in processes for catalytic conversion of hydrocarbon compounds.

The present invention provides a process and catalyst for the autothermal and dry reforming of methane to produce syngas. The process provides a direct single step gas phase reforming of methane or natural gas to syngas over NiPt supported nanocrystalline ZrO.sub.2. The process provides methane conversion of 54-99% with H.sub.2/CO ratio of 1.14 to 1.42 (mol %) in the temperature range of 250 to 750 800 C. at atmospheric pressure.

The invention relates to a composition which is a composition C1 which is based on Al and Ce in the form of oxides; or a composition C2 which is based on Al, Ce and La in the form of oxides with the following proportions of CeO.sub.2 is between 5.0 wt % and 35.0 wt %; La.sub.2O.sub.3 (for composition C2 only) is between 0.1 wt % and 6.0 wt %; the remainder being Al.sub.2O.sub.3; and exhibiting a specific porosity profile and exhibiting the following properties of a mean size of the crystallites after calcination in air at 1100 C. for 5 hours (denoted D.sub.1100 C.-5h) which is lower than 45.0 nm; a mean size of the crystallites after calcination in air at 900 C. for 2 hours (denoted D.sub.900 C.-2h) which is lower than 25.0 nm; and an increase D of the mean size of the crystallites lower than 30.0 nm, D being calculated with the following formula: D=D.sub.1100 C.-5hD.sub.900 C.-2h; the mean size of the crystallites being obtained by XRD from the diffraction peak of the cubic phase corresponding to cerium oxide, generally present at 2 between 28.0 and 30.0.

The invention relates to a composition which is a composition C1 which is based on Al and Ce in the form of oxides; or a composition C2 which is based on Al, Ce and La in the form of oxides with the following proportions of CeO.sub.2 is between 5.0 wt % and 35.0 wt %; La.sub.2O.sub.3 (for composition C2 only) is between 0.1 wt % and 6.0 wt %; the remainder being Al.sub.2O.sub.3; and exhibiting a specific porosity profile and exhibiting the following properties of a mean size of the crystallites after calcination in air at 1100 C. for 5 hours (denoted D.sub.1100 C.-5h) which is lower than 45.0 nm; a mean size of the crystallites after calcination in air at 900 C. for 2 hours (denoted D.sub.900 C.-2h) which is lower than 25.0 nm; and an increase D of the mean size of the crystallites lower than 30.0 nm, D being calculated with the following formula: D=D.sub.1100 C.-5hD.sub.900 C.-2h; the mean size of the crystallites being obtained by XRD from the diffraction peak of the cubic phase corresponding to cerium oxide, generally present at 2 between 28.0 and 30.0.

A hydrogen production catalyst used for generating hydrogen by splitting water, the catalyst comprising a composite metal oxide of cerium oxide and praseodymium oxide.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a catalyst for exhaust gas purification, which is capable of effectively processing an exhaust gas, particularly carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbon (HC) in the exhaust gas at a low temperature, and a method for producing the catalyst for exhaust gas purification. The purpose is achieved by a catalyst for exhaust gas purification, which is obtained by having a carrier that contains Al.sub.2O.sub.3 and one or more metal oxides selected from the group consisting of zirconium oxide (ZrO.sub.2), cerium oxide (CeO.sub.2), yttrium oxide (Y.sub.2O.sub.3), neodymium oxide (Nd.sub.2O.sub.3), silicon oxide (SiO.sub.2) and titanium oxide (TiO.sub.2) support one or more catalyst components selected from the group consisting of gold (Au), silver (Ag), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), rhodium (Rh), iridium (Ir), ruthenium (Ru) and osmium (Os). The metal oxides have particle diameters of less than 10 nm.