Process for forming hydrogen and carbon dioxide using a catalyst consisting essentially of oxides of copper, zinc and aluminum or magnesium

Claim 1

In a process wherein carbon monoxide and steam are reacted by contacting the same with a catalyst at a temperature below 300°C to form hydrogen and carbon dioxide, the improvement which comprises carrying out said reaction with a catalyst consisting essentially of the reduced co-precipitated oxides of copper, zinc and at least one metal selected from the group consisting of aluminum and magnesium, said co-precipitated oxides being obtained by reacting a mixture of non-halides, sulphur-free, water-soluble salts of copper, zinc and the other metal in aqueous solution with a compound of the group consisting of ammonium carbonate, ammonium bicarbonate, an alkali metal carbonate and an alkali metal bicarbonate whereby the copper, zinc and other metal are co-precipitated after which the resulting co-precipitate is washed substantially free of soluble salts, dried and calcined; said catalyst containing, on the basis of the total number of metal atoms present, from 10 - 70% copper, 4 - 20% other metal, balance essentially zinc in an amount of at least 20%, and the amount of oxide of said other metal being such that the activity of the catalyst is stabilized so that said activity is maintained at an increased level for a longer period of time than for a similar catalyst without said oxide of other metal.