Process for the catalytic steam reforming of hydrocarbons

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE CATALYTIC STEAM REFORMING OF HYDROCARBONS IN THE GASEOUS PHASE IN A REACTOR AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURES AND PRESSURES WHICH COMPRISES USING A CATALYST MADE BY THE PROCESS COMPRISING THE SEQUENTIAL STEPS OF: A. PREPARING A FIRST AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF A SOLUBLE SALT OF A METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF NICKEL, IRON AND COBALT, SAID SOLUTION FURTHER CONTAINING A SUBSTANCE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SOLUBLE SALTS OF MAGNESIUM AND DISPERSED, FINELY DIVIDED, REACTIVE MAGNESIUM OXIDE; B. PREPARING A SECOND AQUEOUS SOLUTION CONTAINING A MEMBER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SODIUM ALUMINATE AND POTASSIUM ALUMINATE AND ALSO CONTAINING AN EXCESS OF BASE NOT CHEMICALLY COMBINED IN THE ALUMINATE, C. MIXING SAID FIRST AQUEOUS SOLUTION WITH SAID SECOND AQUEOUS SOLUTION TO CAUSE SIMULTANEOUS AND DIFFERENTIAL COPRECIPITATION OF A FINE SLUDGE OF INTIMATELY MIXED FINE PARTICLES OF ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE, A HYDROXIDE OF AN ELEMENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF NICKEL, IRON AND COBALT, AND A MEMBER OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF MAGNESIUM HYDROXIDE AND MAGNESIUM OXIDE; D. WASHING SAID SLUDGE SUBSTANTIALLY FREE FROM SODIUM AND POTASSIUM IN ANY FORM, E. DRYING AND DEHYDRATING SAID SLUDGE AT A TEMPERATURE OF 300*-750*C. TO FORM AN INTIMATE MIXTURE OF OXIDES OF MAGNESIUM ALUMINUM AND OF AN ELEMENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF NICKEL, IRON AND COBALT, F. CALCINING SAID MIXTURE AT A TEMPERATURE OF 850*-1100*C, G. WHEREIN THE STARTING MATERIALS ARE USED IN PROPORTIONS SO AS TO GIVE THE OXIDES MIXTURE PRIOR TO CALCINATION A CONTENT OF 5-50 PERCENT OF AN OXIDE SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONISTING OF NICKEL, IRON AND COBALT OXIDES, 10-75 PERCENT OF MAGNESIUM OXIDE AND 5-60 PERCENT OF ALUMINUM OXIDE, THE PERCENTAGE BEING CALCULATED ON THE TOTAL WEIGHT OF THE SAID COMPOUNDS AND THEN H. REDUCING AT LEAST PART OF THE OXIDE OF THE METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF NICKEL. IRON AND COBALT TO THE CORRESPONDING FREE METAL.