Metallic catalyst

Claim 1

A METALLIC CATALYST COMPOSITION COMPRISING HOMOGENEOUS MIXTURE OF METALLIC COMPLEXES PREPARED FROM THE HEAT TREATMENT IN A REDUCING OR INERT ATMOSPHERE OF AT LEAST TWO SUBSTANTIALLY INSOLUBLE METALLIC OXALATES, ONE OF SAID METALLIC OXALATES BEING AN OXALATE OF NICKEL AND THE SECOND METALLIC OXALATE BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SALTS OF COBALT, IRON, COPPER, ZINC, ZIRCONIUM, ALUMINUM, BARIUM, CALCIUM, STRONTIUM, AND MAGNESIUM AND COMBINATIONS THEREOF WHEREIN SAID MIXTURE IS IN THE RATIO OF FROM ABOUT 0.3 TO 3.0 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF NICKEL TO 1.0 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF TOTAL SECOND METAL TO FORM A STABLE METALLIC COMPLEX, THE METALLIC OXALATES BEING PREPARED FROM A CONTROLLED SIMULTANEOUS PRECIPITATION OF HOMOGENEOUS MIXTURE OF SUBSTANTIALLY INSOLUBLE INORGANIC COMPOUNDS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF OXIDES, HYDROXIDES, CARBONATES AND BICARBONATES OF THE METALS WHEREIN THE CONTROLLED SIMULTANEOUS PRECIPITATION OF SAID HOMOGENEOUS MIXTURE OF NICKEL AND SAID SECOND METAL OCCURS IN THE PRESENCE OF OXALIC ACID AT A PH OF FROM ABOUT 1.0 TO 3.0, SAID SECOND METAL BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF COBALT, IRON, COPPER, ZINC, ZIRCONIUM, ALUMINUM, BARIUM, CALCIUM, STRONTIUM, AND MAGNESIUM AND COMBINATIONS THEREOF.

Claim 7

A method of preparing a catalyst which comprises the steps of converting a slurry of a homogeneous mixture of nickel and cobalt carbonates and bicarbonates into their oxalates by adding an oxalic acid solution to said inorganic compounds until the pH of the resulting solution is between about 1.0 and 3.0, filtering the resulting mixture of nickel and cobalt oxalates from said resulting solution, drying the filtered product, reducing the oxalates to their metallic state in an atmosphere of hydrogen, and stabilizing the metals in an atmosphere of predominantly carbon dioxide.

Claim 8

A method of preparing a catalyst which comprises the steps of converting a slurry of a homogeneous mixture of nickel and cobalt carbonates and bicarbonates into their oxalates by adding an oxalic acid solution to said inorganic compounds until the pH of the resulting solution is between about 1.0 and 3.0, filtering the resulting mixture of nickel and cobalt oxalates from said resulting solution, drying the filtered product, reducing the oxalates to their metallic state in an atmosphere of hydrogen, and stabilizing the metals in an atmosphere of predominantly carbon dioxide.