A catalyst suitable for use in carbon oxide conversion reactions is described, said catalyst in the form of a shaped unit formed from an oxidic catalyst powder, said catalyst comprising 30-70% by weight of copper oxide, combined with zinc oxide, alumina and silica, having a Si:AI atomic ratio in the range 0.005 to 0.15:1, and having a BET surface area >105 m.sup.2/g and a copper surface area >37 m.sup.2/g catalyst. The catalyst is prepared by a co-precipitation method using an alumina sol.

A desulfurization catalyst includes at least: 1) a sulfur-storing metal oxide, 2) an inorganic binder, 3) a wear-resistant component, and 4) an active metal component. The sulfur-storing metal is one or more of a metal of Group IIB of the periodic table, a metal of Group VB of the periodic table, and a metal of Group VIB of the periodic table, e.g., zinc. The desulfurization catalyst has a good stability and a high desulfurization activity.

A process for steam reforming a hydrocarbon feedstock containing one or more nitrogen compounds, including passing a mixture of the hydrocarbon feedstock and steam through a catalyst bed of one or more nickel steam reforming catalysts disposed within a plurality of externally heated tubes in a tubular steam reformer, each tube having an inlet to which the mixture of hydrocarbon and steam is fed, an outlet from which a reformed gas containing hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, steam, ammonia and methane is recovered. The steam reforming catalyst at least at the outlet of the tubes comprises nickel dispersed over a porous metal oxide surface present as a coating on a non-porous metal or ceramic structure. The nickel content of the metal oxide coating is in the range of 5 to 50% by weight and the thickness of the coating is in the range of 5 to 150 micrometres.

The invention relates to a catalyst for a process for removing mercaptans and optionally disulfides (if present) from hydrocarbon streams, in particular C4 streams, in the presence of higher dienes, in particular C5 dienes. At the same time, the invention also relates to a process for removing mercaptans and disulfides (if present) from hydrocarbon streams, in particular C4 streams, in one embodiment in the presence of 1-butene, by thioetherification of the mercaptans with polyunsaturated hydrocarbons, wherein the process is carried out in a reactor with addition of hydrogen in the presence of higher dienes, in particular C.sub.5 dienes.

The invention provides a process for preparing a cobalt-containing catalyst precursor. The process includes calcining a loaded catalyst support comprising a silica (SiO.sub.2) catalyst support supporting cobalt nitrate to convert the cobalt nitrate into cobalt oxide. The calcination includes heating the loaded catalyst support at a high heating rate, which does not fall below 10° C./minute, during at least a temperature range A. The temperature range A is from the lowest temperature at which calcination of the loaded catalyst support begins to 165° C. Gas flow is effected over the loaded catalyst support during at least the temperature range A. The catalyst precursor is reduced to obtain a Fischer-Tropsch catalyst.

A catalyst in a calcined state has a specific surface area of 20-50 m.sup.2/g of catalyst, and a specific surface area of nickel metal after reduction of the catalyst of 8 to 11 m.sup.2/g, wherein the average particle size of nickel metal is 3-8 nm, the dispersion of the particles is 10-16%, and the content of nickel is 5-15 wt. % based on the weight of calcined catalyst. A support has a specific surface area of 40-120 m.sup.2/g with a pore volume of the support of 0.2-0.4 cm.sup.3/g, wherein the support is selected from a mixture of zirconium oxide and cerium oxide or magnesium oxide, cerium oxide and the ballast being zirconium oxide. The catalyst further contains a promoter selected from the group consisting of palladium and ruthenium, in an amount of from 0.01 to 0.5 wt. %. The catalyst is prepared by co-precipitation with ammonium hydroxide from a solution containing nickel, cerium and zirconium precursors and distilled water or from a solution containing nickel, cerium, zirconium, and magnesium precursors and distilled water, and having a pH of 8.0-9.0. The process is carried out under agitation at a temperature of 40-45° C. for 1-2 hours, followed by filtration, drying at a temperature of 100-110° C. for 6-8 hours, and calcining at a temperature of 400-650° C. for 4-6 hours. The invention provides a high average conversion of natural/associated gas of at least 90% in an autothermal reforming reaction of natural or associated gas, and a high synthesis gas output of at least 7000 m.sup.3/m.sup.3.sub.cat.Math.h.

Processes for converting a hydrocarbon reactant into an alcohol compound and/or a carbonyl compound are disclosed in which the hydrocarbon reactant and either a supported chromium (VI) catalyst or a supported chromium (II) catalyst are contacted, optionally with UV-visible light irradiation, followed by exposure to an oxidizing atmosphere and then hydrolysis to form a reaction product containing the alcohol compound and/or the carbonyl compound. The presence of oxygen significant increases the amount of alcohol/carbonyl product formed, as well as the formation of oxygenated dimers and trimers of certain hydrocarbon reactants.

The present invention relates to heterogeneous catalysts and methods of making and using the same. In various embodiments, the present invention provides a method of making a hydrogenation catalyst including particulate nickel metal (Ni(0)). The method includes calcining first nickel(II)-containing particles in an atmosphere including oxidizing constituents to generate second nickel(II)-containing particles. The method also includes reducing the second nickel(II)-containing particles in a reducing atmosphere while rotating or turning the second nickel(II)-containing particles at about 275° C. to about 360° C. for a time sufficient to generate the particulate nickel metal (Ni(0)), wherein the particulate nickel metal (Ni(0)) is free flowing.

Provided is, for example, an exhaust gas-purifying three-way catalyst which is small in the amount of a platinum group element used, which can be early increased in temperature to a catalytically active temperature, which is suppressed in degradation in performance due to a catalyst poison included in an exhaust gas even if placed directly under an engine, and which is excellent in purification performance. An exhaust gas-purifying three-way catalyst including at least a catalyst carrier 11 and a catalyst layer 21, wherein the catalyst layer 21 has a layered structure having at least a first catalyst layer L1, a second catalyst layer L2 and a third catalyst layer L3 in the listed order, the first catalyst layer L1 contains a first composite catalyst particle including palladium supported on a first base material particle, the second catalyst layer L2 contains a second composite catalyst particle including rhodium supported on a second base material particle, the third catalyst layer L3 contains a third composite catalyst particle including palladium supported on a third base material particle, and the total coating weight Wt in the catalyst layers L1, L2, and L3 (provided that the platinum group element included in each of the catalyst layers is excluded) is 110 g/L or more and 225 g/L or less in total, per volume of the catalyst carrier 11.

Metal nanoparticle-bearing carbonaceous supports, or solid-supported metal-catalysts, can be formed by incipient wetness, wet impregnation and ethylene glycol reduction methods. The solid-supported metal-catalysts can be used a heterogeneous catalysts in various catalytic reactions such as hydrodeoxygenation reactions, catalyze hydrodehalogenation reactions, N—N hydrogenolysis reactions and oxidation reactions. The solid-supported metal-catalysts are easy to handle, are easily separable from reaction media, are stable in various types of reaction media, and are recyclable.