A tableted catalyst support, characterized by an alpha-alumina content of at least 85 wt.-%, a pore volume of at least 0.40 mL/g, as determined by mercury porosimetry, and a BET surface area of 0.5 to 5.0 m.sup.2/g. The tableted catalyst support is an alpha-alumina catalyst support obtained with high geometrical precision and displaying a high overall pore volume, thus allowing for impregnation with a high amount of silver, while exhibiting a surface area sufficiently large so as to provide optimal dispersion of catalytically active species, in particular metal species. The invention further provides a process for producing a tableted alpha-alumina catalyst support, which comprises i) forming a free-flowing feed mixture comprising, based on inorganic solids content, at least 50 wt.-% of a transition alumina; ii) tableting the free-flowing feed mixture to obtain a compacted body; and iii) heat treating the compacted body at a temperature of at least 1100° C., preferably at least 1300° C., more preferably at least 1400° C., in particular at least 1450° C., to obtain the tableted alpha-alumina catalyst support. The invention moreover relates to a compacted body obtained by tableting a free-flowing feed mixture which comprises, based on inorganic solids content, at least 50 wt.-% of a transition alumina having a loose bulk density of at most 600 g/L, a pore volume of at least 0.6 mL/g, as determined, and a median pore diameter of at least 15 nm. The invention moreover relates to a shaped catalyst body for producing ethylene oxide by gas-phase oxidation of ethylene, comprising at least 15 wt.-% of silver, relative to the total weight of the catalyst, deposited on the tableted alpha-alumina catalyst support. The invention moreover relates to a process for producing ethylene oxide by gas-phase oxidation of ethylene, comprising reacting ethylene and oxygen in the presence of the shaped catalyst body.

Herein is disclosed a method of producing a ceramic support suitable for a catalyst, the method comprising providing a porous ceramic structure, comprising a body portion with a monomodal macropore structure, wherein the macropores comprises a first mean pore size; washcoating the porous ceramic structure using a suspension comprising oxide and/or hydroxide nanoparticles and drying and calcinating the washcoated porous ceramic structure at a temperature below the melting point of the nanoparticles. In addition, the ceramic support and its structure is disclosed.

An object of the present invention is to provide a composition for forming an undercoat layer capable of forming an undercoat layer that does not easily peel off from the substrate, an undercoat layer formed by the composition, as well as an exhaust gas purification catalyst and an exhaust gas purification apparatus each including the undercoat layer, and, to achieve the object, the present invention provides a composition for forming an undercoat layer, the composition containing tin oxide microparticles and tin oxide nanoparticles, wherein a content of the tin oxide nanoparticles is 8% by mass or more and 30% by mass or less, with respect to a total content of the tin oxide microparticles and the tin oxide nanoparticles, an undercoat layer formed by the composition, as well as an exhaust gas purification catalyst and an exhaust gas purification apparatus each including the undercoat layer.

The present invention relates to an alumina with a particular pore profile and good thermal stability. This alumina is also characterized in that it has a high bulk density. The alumina has, after calcining in air at 1100° C. for 5 hours: a pore volume in the range of pores with a size of between 5 nm and 100 nm which is between 0.50 and 0.75 mL/g, more particularly between 0.50 and 0.70 mL/g; and a pore volume in the range of pores with a size of between 100 nm and 1000 nm which is less than or equal to 0.20 mL/g, more particularly less than or equal to 0.15 mL/g, or even less than or equal to 0.10 mL/g.

The present invention relates to an alumina with a particular pore profile and good thermal stability. This alumina is also characterized in that it has a high bulk density. The alumina has, after calcining in air at 1100° C. for 5 hours: a pore volume in the range of pores with a size of between 5 nm and 100 nm which is between 0.50 and 0.75 mL/g, more particularly between 0.50 and 0.70 mL/g; and a pore volume in the range of pores with a size of between 100 nm and 1000 nm which is less than or equal to 0.20 mL/g, more particularly less than or equal to 0.15 mL/g, or even less than or equal to 0.10 mL/g.

The present invention relates to a catalyst washcoat composition comprising a slurry comprising at least one platinum group metal and/or at least one non-platinum group metal supported on at least one support; and at least one pore forming agent having a particle size ranging from 100 nm to 5.0 μm, wherein the pore forming agent is selected from carbon nano-tubes, carbon nano-fibres, activated carbon, resins, cellulose powder, and polymer spheres. The present invention also provides a catalyst article for capturing particulate matter of size ranging from 1.0 nm to 100 μm, said article comprising the catalyst washcoat deposited on a substrate and calcined to form pores of which 50%-100% have a pore size ranging from 100 nm to 5.0 μm.

A multilayer supported oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) catalyst composition (support, first single oxide layer, one or more mixed oxide layers, optional second single oxide layer) characterized by formula A.sub.aZ.sub.bE.sub.cD.sub.dO.sub.x/support; A is alkaline earth metal; Z is first rare earth element; E is second rare earth element; D is redox agent/third rare earth element; the first, second, third rare earth element are not the same; a=1.0; b=0.1-10.0; c=0.1-10.0; d=0-10.0; x balances oxidation states; first single oxide layer (Z.sub.b1O.sub.x1, b1=0.1-10.0; x1 balances oxidation states) contacts support and one or more mixed oxide layers; one or more mixed oxide layers (A.sub.a2Z.sub.b2E.sub.c2D.sub.d2O.sub.x2, a2=1.0; b2=0.1-10.0; c2=0.1-10.0; d2=0-10.0; x2 balances oxidation states; A.sub.aZ.sub.bE.sub.cD.sub.dO.sub.x and A.sub.a2Z.sub.b2E.sub.c2D.sub.d2O.sub.x2 are different) contacts first single oxide layer and optionally second single oxide layer, and second single oxide layer (AO), when present, contacts one or more mixed oxide layers and optionally first single oxide layer.

A honeycomb-structured catalyst for decomposing an organic substance, which includes a catalyst particle. The catalyst particle contains a perovskite-type composite oxide represented by A.sub.xB.sub.yM.sub.zO.sub.w, where the A contains at least of Ba and Sr, the B contains Zr, the M is at least one of Mn, Co, Ni, and Fe, y+z=1, 1.001≤x≤1.05, 0.05≤z≤0.2, and w is a positive value that satisfies electrical neutrality. The toluene decomposition rate is greater than 90% when toluene is decomposed using the honeycomb-structured catalyst subjected to a heat treatment at 1200° C. for 48 hours and a gas that contains 50 ppm toluene, 80% nitrogen, and 20% oxygen as a volume concentration as a target at a space velocity of 30,000/h and a catalyst temperature of 400° C.

A process for preparing a silver-containing catalyst for the oxidation of ethylene to ethylene oxide (EO) including the steps of: providing a support having pores; providing a silver-containing impregnation solution; adding an amount of surfactant to the impregnation solution; contacting the support with the surfactant-containing impregnation solution; and removing at least a portion of the impregnation solution prior to fixing the silver upon the carrier in a manner which preferentially removes impregnation solution not contained in the pores. The use of the surfactant results in improved drainage of the silver impregnation solution from the carrier exteriors during the catalyst synthesis. As a result, the amount of silver-containing impregnation solution necessary for the synthesis of the EO catalyst was reduced by up to 15% without reducing the catalyst performance.

Disclosed here is a supported catalyst comprising a thermally stable core, wherein the thermally stable core comprises a metal oxide support and nickel disposed in the metal oxide support, wherein the metal oxide support comprises at least one base metal oxide and at least one transition metal oxide or rare earth metal oxide mixed with or dispersed in the base metal oxide. Optionally the supported catalyst can further comprise an electrolyte removing layer coating the thermally stable core and/or an electrolyte repelling layer coating the electrolyte removing layer, wherein the electrolyte removing layer comprises at least one metal oxide, and wherein the electrolyte repelling layer comprises at least one of graphite, metal carbide and metal nitride. Also disclosed is a molten carbonate fuel cell comprising the supported catalyst as a direct internal reforming catalyst.