The invention relates to a catalyst which comprises: a) a mixed metal oxide of molybdenum, vanadium, niobium and optionally tellurium; and b) ceria particles having a crystallite size greater than 15 nanometers (nm); wherein the amount of the ceria particles, based on the total amount of the catalyst, is of from 1 to 60 wt. %. Further, the invention relates to a process for preparing a catalyst, which comprises mixing a mixed metal oxide of molybdenum, vanadium, niobium and optionally tellurium with ceria particles having a crystallite size greater than 15 nanometers (nm), wherein the amount of the ceria particles, based on the total amount of the catalyst, is of from 1 to 60 wt. %. Still further, the invention relates to an alkane oxidative dehydrogenation and/or alkene oxidation process wherein such catalyst is used.

A method for preparing a molybdenum-bismuth-based composite metal oxide.

A method for preparing a molybdenum-bismuth-based composite metal oxide.

There is provided a method for producing isobutylene, in which isobutylene is produced from isobutanol with a high selectivity while suppressing a decrease in the isobutanol conversion rate under pressure. In the method for producing isobutylene according to the present invention, a raw material gas containing isobutanol is brought into contact with a catalyst to produce isobutylene from isobutanol, the method including bringing the raw material gas containing isobutanol into contact with a catalyst at a linear velocity of 1.20 cm/s or more under a pressure of 120 kPa or more in terms of absolute pressure to produce isobutylene from isobutanol.

A catalyst containing, as an essential component, molybdenum; bismuth; and cobalt, in which a sum (S) of ratios of peak intensities expressed by the following formula in an X-ray diffraction pattern obtained by using CuKα rays as an X-ray source is 42 or more and 113 or less.

S={(peak intensity at 2θ=14.1°±0.1°+(peak intensity at 2θ=25.4°±0.1°)+(peak intensity at 2θ=28.5°±0.1°)}/(peak intensity at 2θ=26.5°±0.1°)×100

A catalyst containing, as an essential component, molybdenum; bismuth; and cobalt, in which a sum (S) of ratios of peak intensities expressed by the following formula in an X-ray diffraction pattern obtained by using CuKα rays as an X-ray source is 42 or more and 113 or less.

S={(peak intensity at 2θ=14.1°±0.1°+(peak intensity at 2θ=25.4°±0.1°)+(peak intensity at 2θ=28.5°±0.1°)}/(peak intensity at 2θ=26.5°±0.1°)×100

A catalyst containing, as an essential component, molybdenum; bismuth; and cobalt, in which, with respect to a peak intensity at 2θ=25.3°±0.2° in an X-ray diffraction pattern obtained by using CuKα rays as an X-ray source, a changing rate (Q1) per 1000 hours of reaction time represented by the following formulae (1) to (4) is 16 or less.

Q1={(U1/F1−1)×100}/T×1000  (1)

F1=(peak intensity of catalyst before oxidation reaction at 2θ=25.3°±)0.2°/(peak intensity of catalyst before oxidation reaction at 2θ=26.5°±0.2°)×100  (2)

U1=(peak intensity of catalyst after oxidation reaction at 2θ=25.3°±0.2°)/(peak intensity of catalyst after oxidation reaction at 2θ=26.5°±0.2°)×100  (3)

T=time (hr) during which oxidation reaction is carried out  (4)

A catalyst containing, as an essential component, molybdenum; bismuth; and cobalt, in which, with respect to a peak intensity at 2θ=25.3°±0.2° in an X-ray diffraction pattern obtained by using CuKα rays as an X-ray source, a changing rate (Q1) per 1000 hours of reaction time represented by the following formulae (1) to (4) is 16 or less.

Q1={(U1/F1−1)×100}/T×1000  (1)

F1=(peak intensity of catalyst before oxidation reaction at 2θ=25.3°±)0.2°/(peak intensity of catalyst before oxidation reaction at 2θ=26.5°±0.2°)×100  (2)

U1=(peak intensity of catalyst after oxidation reaction at 2θ=25.3°±0.2°)/(peak intensity of catalyst after oxidation reaction at 2θ=26.5°±0.2°)×100  (3)

T=time (hr) during which oxidation reaction is carried out  (4)

A catalyst may suppress pressure loss and coaking and produce a target substance in high yield when a gas-phase catalytic oxidation reaction of a material substance is conducted using the catalyst to produce the target substance. A ring-shaped catalyst may have 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.

A method includes supplying a gas containing acrolein to a fixed bed reactor including a reaction tube to produce acrylic acid by vapor phase catalytic oxidation of acrolein. The reaction tube is packed with catalysts having different activities in such a way that catalyst layers are formed in a tube axis direction. A catalyst X having the highest activity among the catalysts contained in all the catalyst layers is placed in the whole or a part of a section up to 30% of a length of all the catalyst layers from a rearmost portion on a gas outlet side toward a gas inlet side. A catalytically active component x in the catalyst X has Mo, V, and optionally Cu. When Cu is included, its amount is 0.8 mol or less per 12 mol of Mo. A specific surface area of the catalytically active component x is 15-40 m.sup.2/g.