Abstract: A process for the production of antimony-containing metal oxide catalysts, comprising preparing a slurry containing as essential components an antimony component, a polyvalent metal compound, and silica sol, heating and drying the slurry to form a solid product, and then calcining the solid product, wherein the antimony component is a mixture of (A) at least one of antimonic acid, polyantimonic acid and the salts thereof and (B) antimony trioxide, and is prepared by mixing (A) and (B) in such a manner that the antimony provided by the (B) constitutes from 0.1 to 70 atomic % of the total amount of antimony and further in an aqueous slurry state. These antimony-containing metal oxide catalysts have superior activity and physical properties, and further reproducibility in the preparation thereof. Thus they are useful for production of aldehydes and acids through oxidation, nitriles through ammoxidation, and dienes, unsaturated aldehydes and unsaturated acids through oxidative dehydrogenation.

Abstract: A catalyst comprising 10 to 30 wt.% of nickel as nickel oxide, 20 to 60 wt.% of calcium as calcium oxide, 10 to 70 wt.% of aluminum as aluminum oxide and containing less than 1 wt.% of silicon dioxide. The catalyst is prepared by using: as the starting material for the nickel component, fine particles of nickel oxide obtained by heating a nickel compound which is decomposed to nickel oxide by heating at a temperature in the range of 400.degree. to 800.degree. C in the presence of oxygen; as the starting material for the calcium component, calcium oxide per se or a calcium compound which is decomposed to calcium oxide by heating and; as the starting material for the aluminum component, alumina cement of a high purity. The catalyst is prepared by mixing and kneading the starting materials with water, molding the same, then keeping the catalyst composition under a highly humid atmosphere at a temperature in the range of 5.degree. to 35.degree.

Abstract: A sintered catalyst article is prepared by:molding into a shaped article and aging (I) eitherA. a refractory powder of calcium aluminate substantially free of silicon dioxide, alone, orB. a homogenous mixture of1. said refractory powder and2. at least one member selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxide, calcium oxide, beryllium oxide, magnesium oxide, strontium oxide and a compound which is converted by heating to one of said oxides;(II) sintering said molded and aged article at a temperature above 1150.degree.C;the thus sintered catalyst article containing 10 to 60 wt. percent of calcium oxide, 30 to 90 wt. percent of aluminum oxide, 0 to 30 wt. percent of at least one oxide selected from the group consisting of beryllium oxide, magnesium oxide and strontium oxide, and less than 0.2 wt. percent of silicon dioxide.