Manufacture and use of catalysts

Claim 1

A METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A SPHEROIDAL SHAPED CATALYST WHICH COMPRISES FORMING AN ALUMINA SOL, COMMINGLING SAID SOL WITH WATER AND HYDROGEN FLUORIDE TO FORM A MIXTURE CONTAINING FROM ABOUT 15% TO ABOUT 35% BY WEIGHT OF ALUMINA, AND FROM ABOUT 0.1% TO ABOUT 3% BY WEIGHT OF FLUORINE IN THE FINAL CATALYST, SEPARATELY COMMINGLING WATER WITH HEXAMETHYLENE TETRAMINE TO FORM A SOLUTION CONTAINING FROM ABOUT 15% TO ABOUT 40% BY WEIGHT OF HEXAMETHYLENE TETRAMINE, COMMINGLING SAID MIXTURE AND SAID HEXAMETHYLENE TETRAMINE SOLUTION AT BELOW GELATION TEMPERATURE AND IN A VOLUME RATIO OF HEXAMETHYLENE TETRAMINE SOLUTION TO SAID MIXTURE OF FROM ABOUT 3:1 TO ABOUT 1:1.5, PASSING DROPLETS OF THE RESULTANT MIXTURE INTO AN OIL BATH MAINTAINED AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM ABOUT 120* TO ABOUT 220* F., RETAINING THE DROPLETS IN SAID OIL BATH UNTIL THE DROPLETS SET TO HYDROGEL SPHERES, IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER AGING SAID SPHERES IN A BASIC MEDIUM, WASHING AND DRYING SAID SPHERES, THEREAFTER COMBINING PLATINUM THEREWITH IN AN AMOUNT OF FROM ABOUT 0.01% TO ABOUT 1% BY WEIGHT OF SAID ALUMINA ON A DRY BASIS, AND SUBSEQUENTLY CALCINING THE COMPOSITE.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A SPHEROIDAL SHAPED CATALYST WHICH COMPRISES FORMING AN ALUMINA SOL, COMMINGLING SAID SOL WITH WATER AND HYDROGEN FLUORIDE TO FORM A MIXTURE CONTAINING FROM ABOUT 15% TO ABOUT 35% BY WEIGHT OF ALUMINA, AND FROM ABOUT 0.1% TO ABOUT 3% BY WEIGHT OF FLUORINE IN THE FINAL CATALYST, SEPARATELY COMMINGLING WATER WITH HEXAMETHYLENE TETRAMINE TO FORM A SOLUTION CONTAINING FROM ABOUT 15% TO ABOUT 40% BY WEIGHT OF HEXAMETHYLENE TETRAMINE, COMMINGLING SAID MIXTURE AND SAID HEXAMETHYLENE TETRAMINE SOLUTION AT BELOW GELATION TEMPERATURE AND IN A VOLUME RATIO OF HEXAMETHYLENE TETRAMINE SOLUTION TO SAID MIXTURE OF FROM ABOUT 3:1 TO ABOUT 1:1.5, PASSING DROPLETS OF THE RESULTANT MIXTURE INTO AN OIL BATH MAINTAINED AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM ABOUT 120* TO ABOUT 220* F., RETAINING THE DROPLETS IN SAID OIL BATH UNTIL THE DROPLETS SET TO HYDROGEL SPHERES, IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER AGING SAID SPHERES IN A BASIC MEDIUM, WASHING AND DRYING SAID SPHERES, THEREAFTER COMBINING PLATINUM THEREWITH IN AN AMOUNT OF FROM ABOUT 0.01% TO ABOUT 1% BY WEIGHT OF SAID ALUMINA ON A DRY BASIS, AND SUBSEQUENTLY CALCINING THE COMPOSITE.