Process for the production of a reforming catalyst

Claim 2

THE PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF A PRECURSOR FOR A CATALYST FOR REFORMING HYDROCARBONS WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF MIXING AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF A SALT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SOLUBLE SALTS OF NICKEL, IRON AND COBALT, SAI SOLUTION FURTHER CONTAINING A SUBSTANCE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SOLUBLE SALTS OF MAGNESIUM AND DISPERSED, FINELY DIVIDED, REACTIVE MAGNESIUM OXIDE, WITH ANOTHER SOLUTION CONTAINING A MEMBER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SODIUM ALUMINATE AND POTASSIUM ALUMINATE, AND ALSO CONTAINING AN EXCESS OF BASE NOT CHEMICALLY COMBINED IN THE ALUMINATE, TO SIMULTANEOUSLY AND DIFFERENTIALLY COPRECIPITATE A FINE SLUDGE OF INTIMATELY MIXED FINE PARTICLES OF ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE, A HYDROXIDE OF AN ELEMENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF NICKEL, IRON AND COBALT, AND A MEMBER OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF MAGNESIUM HYDROXIDE AND MAGNESIUM OXIDE, THEN WASHING SAID SLUDGE SUBSTANTIALLY FREE FROM SODIUM AND POTASSIUM IN ANY FORM AND THEREAFTER DRYING AND DEHYDRATING SAID SLUDGE AT A TEMPERATURE OF 300-750*C. TO FORM AN INTIMATE MIXTURE OF OXIDES OF MAGNESIUM, ALUMINUM AND OF AN ELEMENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF NICKEL, IRON AND COBALT, AND THEN CALCINING SAID OXIDES MIXTURE AT A TEMPERATURE OF 850*-1100*C. AND WHEREIN THE STARTING MATERIALS ARE USED IN PROPORTIONS SO AS TO GIVE THE OXIDES MIXTURE PRIOR TO CALCINATION A CONTENT OF 5-50% OF AN OXIDE SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF NICKEL, IRON AND COBALT OXIDES, 10-75% OF MAGNESIUM OXIDE AND 5-60% OF ALUMINUM OXIDE THE PERCENTAGES BEING CALCULATED ON THE TOTAL WEIGHT OF THE SAID COMPOUNDS.

Claim 3

The process of claim 1, in which the excess base is composed of a hydroxide of the same alkali metal as that chemically combined in the aluminate.

Claim 4

The process of claim 1, in which the salts of nickel, iron and cobalt and magnesium employed are selected from the group consisting of nitrates and sulphates.

Claim 5

The process of claim 1, in which the dehydration is carried out at a temperature of 350*-500* C.

Claim 6

The process of claim 1, in which the starting materials used are in proportions so as to give the oxides prior to calcination a content of 33-35% of NiO, 17-21% of MgO and 45-50% of Al2O3, these percentages being calculated on the total weight of the said oxides.

Claim 7

The process of preparing a catalyst for reforming hydrocarbons wherein the precursor formed by the process of claim 1 is subjected to a reducing treatment to convert the oxide of the element selected from the group consisting of nickel, iron and cobalt, at least in part into the corresponding free metal.

Claim 8

An unreduced precursor for a catalyst for reforming hydrocarbons, said precursor being made by the process comprising the sequential steps of (1) preparing a first aqueous solution of a salt of a metal selected from the group consisting of nickel, iron and cobalt, said solution further containing a substance selected from the group consisting of soluble salts of magnesium and dispersed, finely divided, reactive magnesium oxide; (2) preparing a second aqueous solution containing a member selected from the group consisting of sodium aluminate and potassium aluminate and also containing an excess of base not chemically combined in the aluminate; (3) mixing said first aqueous solution with said second aqueous solution to cause simultaneous and differential coprecipitation of a fine sludge of intimately mixed fine particles of aluminum hydroxide, a hydroxide of an element selected from the group consisting of nickel, iron and cobalt, and a member of the group consisting of magnesium hydroxide and magnesium oxide; (4) washing said sludge substantially free from sodium and potassium in any form: (5) drying and dehydrating said sludge at a temperature of 300*-750* C. to form an intimate mixture of oxides of magnesium, aluminum and of an element selected from the group consisting of nickel, iron and cobalt; (6) calcining said mixture at a temperature of 850*-1100* C.; and (7) wherein the starting materials are used in proportions so as to give the oxides mixture prior to calcination a content of 5-50% of an oxide selected from the class consisting of nickel, iron and cobalt oxides, 10-75% of magnesium oxide and 5-60% of aluminum oxide, the percentages being calculated on the total weight of the said compounds.

Claim 9

An unreduced precursor for a catalyst for reforming hydrocarbons, said precursor being made by the process comprising the sequential steps of (1) preparing a first aqueous solution of a salt of a metal selected from the group consisting of nickel, iron and cobalt, said solution further containing a substance selected from the group consisting of soluble salts of magnesium and dispersed, finely divided, reactive magnesium oxide; (2) preparing a second aqueous solution containing a member selected from the group consisting of sodium aluminate and potassium aluminate and also containing an excess of base not chemically combined in the aluminate; (3) mixing said first aqueous solution with said second aqueous solution to cause simultaneous and differential coprecipitation of a fine sludge of intimately mixed fine particles of aluminum hydroxide, a hydroxide of an element selected from the group consisting of nickel, iron and cobalt, and a member of the group consisting of magnesium hydroxide and magnesium oxide; (4) washing said sludge substantially free from sodium and potassium in any form: (5) drying and dehydrating said sludge at a temperature of 300*-750* C. to form an intimate mixture of oxides of magnesium, aluminum and of an element selected from the group consisting of nickel, iron and cobalt; (6) calcining said mixture at a temperature of 850*-1100* C.; and (7) wherein the starting materials are used in proportions so as to give the oxides mixture prior to calcination a content of 5-50% of an oxide selected from the class consisting of nickel, iron and cobalt oxides, 10-75% of magnesium oxide and 5-60% of aluminum oxide, the percentages being calculated on the total weight of the said compounds.

Claim 10

A catalyst prepared by reducing the precursor of claim 7 to an active metal reforming catalyst.