Abstract: A method is described for preparing an eggshell catalyst comprising the steps of: (i) preparing a calcined shaped alkaline earth metal aluminate catalyst support, (ii) treating the calcined shaped alkaline earth metal aluminate support with a gas containing water vapour to form a hydrated support, (iii) with or without an intervening drying step, impregnating the hydrated support with an acidic solution containing one or more catalytic metal compounds and drying the impregnated support, (iv) calcining the dried impregnated support, to form a calcined catalyst having a catalytic metal oxide concentrated at the surface of the support and (v) optionally repeating steps (ii), (iii) and (iv).

Abstract: A process is described for steam reforming a hydrocarbon feedstock containing one or more nitrogen compounds, comprising passing a mixture of the hydrocarbon feedstock and steam through a catalyst bed consisting of one nickel steam reforming catalysts disposed within a plurality of externally heated tubes in a tubular steam reformer, wherein each tube has an inlet to which the mixture of hydrocarbon and steam is fed, an outlet from which a reformed gas containing hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, steam, ammonia and methane is recovered, and the steam reforming catalyst at least at the outlet of the tubes is a particulate eggshell steam reforming catalyst comprising 2.5 to 9.5% by weight nickel, expressed as NiO, wherein the nickel is provided in a layer at the surface of the catalyst and the thickness of layer is in the range of 100 to 1000 ?m.

Abstract: A method is described for preparing an eggshell catalyst comprising the steps of: (i) preparing a calcined shaped alkaline earth metal aluminate catalyst support, (ii) treating the calcined shaped alkaline earth metal aluminate support with a gas containing water vapour to form a hydrated support, (iii) with or without an intervening drying step, impregnating the hydrated support with an acidic solution containing one or more catalytic metal compounds and drying the impregnated support, (iv) calcining the dried impregnated support, to form a calcined catalyst having a catalytic metal oxide concentrated at the surface of the support and (v) optionally repeating steps (ii), (iii) and (iv).

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a polyurethane compound comprises mixing together a polyol, a polyisocyanate compound and a catalyst and allowing the mixture to cure to form a polyurethane, and is characterized in that the catalyst is a neutral complex of a metal selected from Ti, Zr, Hf, Al, Fe, Bi or Sn and a multidentate organic ligand having: a) a number of anionic donor sites=x; b) a number of neutral donor sites, capable of forming a co-ordinate bond with the metal, =y; c) where x+y=from 5 to 8; d) x is from 2 to 4; e) the ligand molecule is of a size and conformation to enable each of the anionic donor sites and neutral donor sites to form a bond with the same metal atom.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a polyurethane compound comprises mixing together a polyol, a polyisocyanate compound and a catalyst and allowing the mixture to cure to form a polyurethane, and is characterised in that the catalyst is a neutral complex of a metal selected from Ti, Zr, Hf, Al, Fe, Bi or Sn and a multidentate organic ligand having: a) a number of anionic donor sites=x; b) a number of neutral donor sites, capable of forming a co-ordinate bond with the metal, =y; c) where x+y=from 5 to 8; d) x is from 2 to 4; e) the ligand molecule is of a size and conformation to enable each of the anionic donor sites and neutral donor sites to form a bond with the same metal atom.