Preparation of gel extrudates

Claim 1

A METHOD OF PREPARING AN EXTRUDED MOLYBDENUM OXIDE-COBALT OXIDE CATALYST SUPPORTED ON A CARRIER OF A MIXTURE OF ALUMINA AND KAOLIN, SAID CATALYST HAVING THE COBALT OXIDE UNIFORMLY DISPERSED IN THE CARRIER, BEING RESISTANT TO SHATTERING AND BEING DIMENSIONALLY STABLE IN USE AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURE FOR DESULFURIZATION AND HYDROCARBON CONVERSION, COMPRISING MIXING 1) MOLYBDENUM OXIDE IN DRY FORM IN AN AMOUNT OF FROM ABOUT 3% TO ABOUT 20% OF THE TOTAL WEIGHT OF THE MIXTURE (2) ABOUT 2K-35% BY WEIGHT OF DRY ACTIVATED ALUMINA, (3) DRY KAOLIN IN AN AMOUNT OF ABOUT 1/2 OF SAID ACTIVATED ALUMINA, AND (4) THE REMAINDER CONSISTING OF HYDRATED ALUMINA, SAID HYDRATE ALUMINA CONTAINING ABOUT 28% BY WEIGHT OF COMBINED WATER AN D BEING IN THE DRY STATE, THERE BEING PRESENT A GREATER AMOUNT OF SAID HYDRATED ALUMINA THAN SAID ACTIVATE ALUMINA, THEREAFTER ADDING A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF WATER CONTAINING A COBALT SALT DISSOLVED THEREIN CAPABLE OF BEING CONVERTED TO COBALT OXIDE PROMOTER ON CALCINING SAID CATALYST, THE AMOUNT OF SAID COBALT OXIDE VARYING FROM BETWEEN ABOUT 2 TO ABOUT 3.5% WHILE CONTINUING SAID MIXING, ADDING AQUEOUS NITRIC ACID TO FORM A PLASTIC DOUGHY MASS, EXTRUDING SAID MASS, DRYING SAID EXTRUDATE AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM 300-500*F. AND CALCINING AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 700-1200*F. TO EFFECT UNIFORM SHRINKAGE OF THE EXTRUDED CATALYST.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF PREPARING AN EXTRUDED MOLYBDENUM OXIDE-COBALT OXIDE CATALYST SUPPORTED ON A CARRIER OF A MIXTURE OF ALUMINA AND KAOLIN, SAID CATALYST HAVING THE COBALT OXIDE UNIFORMLY DISPERSED IN THE CARRIER, BEING RESISTANT TO SHATTERING AND BEING DIMENSIONALLY STABLE IN USE AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURE FOR DESULFURIZATION AND HYDROCARBON CONVERSION, COMPRISING MIXING 1) MOLYBDENUM OXIDE IN DRY FORM IN AN AMOUNT OF FROM ABOUT 3% TO ABOUT 20% OF THE TOTAL WEIGHT OF THE MIXTURE (2) ABOUT 2K-35% BY WEIGHT OF DRY ACTIVATED ALUMINA, (3) DRY KAOLIN IN AN AMOUNT OF ABOUT 1/2 OF SAID ACTIVATED ALUMINA, AND (4) THE REMAINDER CONSISTING OF HYDRATED ALUMINA, SAID HYDRATE ALUMINA CONTAINING ABOUT 28% BY WEIGHT OF COMBINED WATER AN D BEING IN THE DRY STATE, THERE BEING PRESENT A GREATER AMOUNT OF SAID HYDRATED ALUMINA THAN SAID ACTIVATE ALUMINA, THEREAFTER ADDING A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF WATER CONTAINING A COBALT SALT DISSOLVED THEREIN CAPABLE OF BEING CONVERTED TO COBALT OXIDE PROMOTER ON CALCINING SAID CATALYST, THE AMOUNT OF SAID COBALT OXIDE VARYING FROM BETWEEN ABOUT 2 TO ABOUT 3.5% WHILE CONTINUING SAID MIXING, ADDING AQUEOUS NITRIC ACID TO FORM A PLASTIC DOUGHY MASS, EXTRUDING SAID MASS, DRYING SAID EXTRUDATE AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM 300-500*F. AND CALCINING AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 700-1200*F. TO EFFECT UNIFORM SHRINKAGE OF THE EXTRUDED CATALYST.