Abstract: Oligomers of olefins containing from 3 to about 6 carbon atoms such as dimers may be obtained in a more highly branched chain compound by effecting the oligomerization at temperatures in the range of from about 50.degree. to about 350.degree. C. and a pressure in the range of from about 100 to about 2500 psig in the presence of a catalyst comprising a fluorided aluminum phosphate. The catalyst may be prepared by impregnating an aluminum phosphate with a fluorine-containing compound in an aqeous or nonaqueous medium, drying, calcining and recovering the desired catalyst.

Abstract: Hydrocarbons are converted by contacting them at hydrocarbon conversion conditions with a novel attenuated superative multimetallic catalytic composite comprising a combination of a catalytically effective amount of a pyrolyzed rhenium carbonyl component with a porous carrier material containing a uniform dispersion of catalytically effective amounts of a platinum group component, which is maintained in the elemental metallic state, and of a tantalum component. In a highly preferred embodiment, this novel catalytic composite also contains a catalytically effective amount of a halogen component. The platinum group component, pyrolyzed rhenium carbonyl component, tantalum component and optional halogen component are preferably present in the multimetallic catalytic composite in amounts, calculated on an elemental basis, corresponding to about 0.01 to about 2 wt. % platinum group metal, about 0.01 to about 5 wt. % rhenium, about 0.01 to about 5 % tantalum and about 0.1 to about 3.5 wt. % halogen.