Hydrocarbon conversion catalyst

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PREPARING A HYDROCARBON CONVERSION CATALYST, WHICH PROCESS COMPRISES CALCINING A MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF SILICA-CONTAINING MATERIAL, ALUMINA-CONTAINING MATERIAL, AND MIXTURES THEREOF, AT A TEMPERATURE BELOW ABOUT 1100*F. TO PRODUCE AN ADSORBENT SOLID HAVING AN EFFECTIVE SURFACE AREA IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 25 TO 700 SQ. M./GM. AND A LOSS ON IGNITION BELOW ABOUT 4 PERCENT, ADDING WATER TO SAID ADSORBENT SOLID IN THE AMOUNT OF AT LEAST ABOUT 1-6 PERCENT BY WEIGHT BASED ON SAID ABSORBENT SOLID TO PRODUCE A HYDRATED ABSORBENT SOLID HAVING SURFACE HYDROXYL GROUPS, DRYING SAID HYDRATED ABSORBENT SOLID TO REMOVE ANY ADSORBED MOLECULAR WATER AND PRODUCE A SURFACE-HYDROXYLCONTAINING ADSORBENT SOLID CONTAINING LESS THAN ABOUT 1 PERCENT ABSORBED MOLECULAR WATER, REACTING ALUMINUM CHLORIDE WITH SAID SURFACE-HYDROXYL-CONTAINING ADSORBENT SOLID AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 0 TO 500*F., AND ASSOCIATING HYDROGEN CHLORIDE WITH THE SOLID REACTION PRODUCT OF SAID ALUMINUM CHLORIDE WITH SAID SURFACEHYDROXYL-CONTAINING ADSORBENT SOLID AT A PRESSURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 10 TO 500 P.S.I.A. AND A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 60 TO 200*F. TO PRODUCE SAID CATALYST.