Preparation of a silica-zirconia catalyst for conversion of hydrocarbons

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PREPARING A CATALYTIC COMPOSITE OF SILICA AND ZIRCONIA WHICH COMPRISES REACTING A WATERSOLUBLE ZIRCONIUM COMPOUND AND A SILICA SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF AN ALKALI METAL SILICATE AND AN ORGANIC SILICATE ESTER TOEFFECT FORMTION OF A GELABLE SOL CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF SILICA AND ZIRCONIA CHARACTERIZED BY A PH OF LESS THAN 6 AND A ZIRCONIA CONTENT, ON A DRY SOLIDS BASIS, OF BETWEEN ABOUT 2 AND ABOUT 20 PERCENT BY WEIGHT, PERMITTING THE SAID SOL TO SET FORMING A SILICAZIRCONIA GEL, CONTACTING SAID GEL WITH LIQUID WATER AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE APPROXIMATE RANGE OF 150 TO 220*F. FOR A PERIOD OF ABOUT 5 TO ABOUT 72 HOURS UNDER CONDITIONS OF SUBSTANTIALLY ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE REMOVING ZEOLITIC IMPURITIES FROM THE HOT WATER TREATED GEL, WATER WASHING THE GEL FREE OF SOLUBLE MATTER, DRYING AND CALCINING.