Preparation of a molybdenum oxide-iron oxide catalyst composition

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PREPARING A NON-SUPPORTED ACTIVE CATALYST CONSISTING OF MOLYBDENUM OXIDE AND IRON OXIDE, FOR THE CATALYTIC OXIDATION OF METHANOL TO FORMALDEHYDE, SAID CATALYST REQUIRING NO PRE-ACTIVATION IN THE RACTOR USED FOR CARRYING OUT SAID CATALYTIC OXIDATION, AND BEING CHARACTERIZED BY HIGH RESISTANCE TO CRUMBLING IN TRANSPORTATION AND DURING THE SAID CATALYTIX OXIDATION, SAID PROCESS COMPRISING MIXING AN AQUEOUS SOLUTIN OF A SOLUBLE MOLYBDATE AND AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF A SOLUBLE IRON SALT TO PRECIPITATE AN IRON MOLYBDATE, WASHING THE PRECIPITATE TO REMOVE WATER SOLUBLE SALTS, SEPARATING THE IRON MOLDBDATE PRECIPITATE FROM THE WASH WATER, DRYING THE PRECIPITATE TO A WATER CONTENT OF ABOUT 40 TO 50 PERCENT, MECHANICALLY WORKING THE IRON MOLYBDATE BETWEEN SURFACES MOVING AT DIFFERENT LINEAR SPEEDS TO SHAPE THE IRON MOLYBDATE INTO GRANULES HAVING THE SAME SIZE AND SHAPE WITH EACH GRANULE HAIVNG A DIAMETER SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO ITS HEIGHT, FURTHER DRYING THE GRANULES AND ACTIVATING TGHEM BY A PROGRESSIVE THERMAL TREATMENT BETWEEN THE RANGE FROM 100*C. TO 450*C.