Catalyst composition and preparation

Claim 1

A CALCINED HYDRODESULFURIZATION CATALYST CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A CRYSTALLINE MAGNESIUM ALUMINATE SPINEL BASE, SAID SPINEL BEING OBTAINED BY CONTACTING IN AN AQUEOUS MEDIUM A SOLUBLE INORGANIC MAGNESIUM SALT AND A SOLUBLE SALT HAVING ALUMINUM IN THE ANION TO PRECIPITATE A SPINEL PRECURSOR AND CALCINING THE PRECURSOR AT A TEMPERATURE FROM ABOUT 800 TO 1300*F. TO FORM THE MAGNESIUM ALUMINATE SPINEL, AND A METAL-CONTAINING CATALYTIC COMPONENT HAVING AT LEAST ABOUT 0.05 WEIGHT PERCENT OF A METAL OF ATOMIC NUMBER FROM 27 TO 28 AND AT LEAST ABOUT 0.05 WEIGHT PERCENT OF A METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF VANADIUM AND THE METALS OF GROUP VIA HAVING AN ATOMIC NUMBER FROM 42 TO 74, SAID CATALYTIC METALS BEING NOT MORE THAN ABOUT 25 WEIGHT PERCENT OF THE CATALYST COMPOSITION, SAID CATALYTIC METALS BEING DEPOSITED ON THE BASE AFTER CALCINATION TO FORM THE SPINEL AND SAID CALCINED CATALYST BEING PROVIDED BY CALCINATION OF THE BASE CONTAINING THE CATALST METALS.