Silica supported catalysts and method of preparation thereof

Claim 1

A POROUS, AMORPHOUS SILICA SUPPORTED METALLIC CATALYST HAVING A DENSITY OF FROM 1 TO 2 GRAMS PER CUBIC CENTIMETER AS DETERMINED BY MERCURY DISPLACEMENT AND CHARACTERIZED BY COATING ESSENTIALLY OF: AMORPHOUS SILICA WITH RESPECT TO WHICH THERE IS DISPERSED SUBSTANTIALLY HOMOGENEOUSLY AT LEAST ONE METAL-CONTAINING CONSTITUTENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF METALS AND METAL OXIDES, THE METAL IN SAID CONSTITUTENT BEING PRESENT IN THE PROPORTION OF FROM 0.01 TO 5% BY VOLUME BASED ON THE SILICA NAND BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF COPPER, CADMIUM, MANGANESE, CALCIUM, MAGNESIUM, ZINC, CHROMIUM, ALUMINUM, MOLYBDENUM, TUNGSTEN, VANADIUM, CERIUM, MERCURY, BARIUM, TIN, LEAD, BISMUTH, THALLIUM, IRON, COBALT, NICKEL, PLATINUM, RHODIUM, RUTHENIUM, IRIDIUM, AND OSMIUM, THE AMORPHOUS SILICA BEING IN THE FORM OF ULTIMATE PARTICLES IN THE SIZE RANGE OF FROM 5 TO 200 MILLIMICRONS, AND THE PORES IN THE CATALYST HAVING SUCH UNIFORMITY OF SIZE THAT NO MORE THAN 5% OF THE TOTAL VOID VOLUME IS PRESENT AS PORES HAVING A SIZE GREATER THAN TWICE THE AVERAGE PORE SIZE.