Abstract: Bastnaesite and magnesium-containing materials can be chemically reacted by use of reactions wherein alumina is made into a sol by use of a mono-protonic acid and then reacted with a magnesium-containing ingredient (e.g., magnesium acetate) and a bastnaesite ingredient such that, upon spray drying and calcination of the resulting composition, the bastnaesite is chemically reacted with magnesia to form a bastnaesite/magnesia/alumina compound having SO.sub.x activity.

Abstract: Bastnaesite and magnesium-containing materials can be chemically reacted by use of reactions wherein alumina is made into a sol by use of a mono-protonic acid and then reacted with a magnesium-containing ingredient (e.g., magnesium acetate) and a bastnaesite ingredient such that, upon spray drying and calcination of the resulting composition, the bastnaesite is chemically reacted with magnesia to form a bastnaesite/magnesia/alumina compound having SO.sub.x activity.

Abstract: Bastnaesite materials and Mg A! (and/or Al B!) materials can be chemically reacted by use of reactions wherein a Al B! ingredient such as alumina is made into a sol by use of a mono-protonic acid before Mg A! (and/or Al B!) materials is (are) reacted with the bastnaesite material. The resulting compounds are then used as SO.sub.x catalyst/absorbent materials in fluid catalytic cracking units and/or in fixed bed units.

Abstract: Bastnaesite materials and Mg[A] (and/or Al[B]) materials can be chemically reacted by use of reactions wherein a Al[B] ingredient such as alumina is made into a sol by use of a mono-protonic acid before Mg[A] (and/or Al[B]) materials is (are) reacted with the bastnaesite material.

Abstract: Spinels can be synthesized by uniformly dispersing predetermined quantities of ingredient compounds whose particles have sizes no greater than about 5 nanometers in a liquid medium, arresting the ingredient compounds in a solid matrix by spray drying said liquid medium and then calcining the resulting particles to form a solid solution of oxides of said compounds in a crystalline lattice which is substantially free of undesired complex compounds of the ingredient compounds.

Abstract: High concentrations of small (<4 microns) crystalline catalyst ingredients such as ZSM-5, low-soda exchanged Y-zeolite, ultra-stable Y-zeolite etc., can be incorporated into a durable matrix by use of binder formulations prepared from amorphous silica, alumina and zirconia, particularly those of colloidal dimensions. The binder formulations are slurried and associated with at least one active catalyst ingredient, which preferably is up to 60% ZSM-5. The resulting material is then spray-dryed and calcined to form binder matrices which are particularly resistant to attrition and particle density change.