Catalytic conversion and adsorption processes

Claim 1

IN A CATALYTIC CONTACTING PROCESS WHEREIN A FLUID REACTANT IS CONTACTED WITH ADSORBENT CATALYST GRANULES AT AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE TO EFFECT A CHEMICAL CONVERSION, AND WHEREIN SAID GRANULES ARE NORMALLY SUBJECTED TO MECHANICAL ABRADING FORCES WHICH ERODE CATALYTIC MATERIAL THEREFROM, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES MINIMIZING SUCH EROSION BY EMPLOYING THEREIN ABRASION-RESISTANT GRANULES, EACH OF SAID GRANULES COMPRISING AT LEAST ABOUT 10% BY WEIGHT OF A HOMOGNEOUSLY DISTRIBUTED KAOLINBENTONITE CLAY COMPOSITE COEXTENSIVE WITH THE VOLUME OF THE GRANULE, ANY REMAINDER OF SAID GRANULE BEING COMPOSED OF FINELY DIVIDED CATALYTIC MATERIAL INTIMATELY DISPERSED AND BONDED WITHIN SAID CLAY COMPOSITE, SAID GRANULES HAVING BEEN FORMED BY A METHOD INCLUDING THE STEPS OF INTIMATELY ADMIXING AND WETTING A POWDERED, ACIDWASHED BENTONITE CLAY AND A POWDERED KAOLIN CLAY, THEREBY FORMING A MOIST PLASTIC MASS, THE WEIGHT-RATIO OF KAOLIN-BENTONITE IN SAID PLASTIC MASS BEING BETWEEN ABOUT 35/65 AND 5/95 ON A DRY BASIS, SHAPING A PORTION OF SAID PLASTIC MASS INTO THE FORM DESIRED FOR SAID GRANULES, AND SUBSEQUENTLY DRYING AND CALCINING THE SHAPED GRANULES.