Abstract: A catalyst for steam reforming of a hydrocarbon carrying from three to twenty weight percent of nickel as nickel oxide, which is made by immersing alumina particles in a nickel containing solution, drying and then calcining the particles, which alumina particles are of a .alpha.-alumina and of 98 weight percent or more purity and has a pore volume of the pores having a diameter of from 0.1 to 0.5 microns of 0.2 ml/g or more and pore volume of the pores having a diameter of more than 0.5 microns but not more than 10 microns of 0.05 ml/g or more.

Abstract: A catalyst for steam reforming of a hydrocarbon or alcohol carrying from three to twenty weight percent of nickel as nickel oxide, which is made by immersing alumina particles in a nickel containing solution, drying and then calcining the particles, which alumina particles are of .alpha.-alumina and of 98 weight percent or more purity and has a pore volume of the pores having a diameter of from 0.1 to 0.5 micron of 0.2 ml/g or more and a pore volume of the pores having a diameter of 0.5 microns or more of 0.05 ml/g or more.

Abstract: This invention provides an improved, simple and energy saving process for producing a gas containing methane, which process utilizes a reactor having a catalyst bed of a structure wherein a synthesis gas is allowed to pass perpendicularly to the longitudinal directions of a plurality of cooling tubes installed vertically within the catalyst bed. Within the cooling tubes, a liquid coolant at its boiling temperature is flowed upwardly under pressure. A portion of the reaction product gas leaving the catalyst bed is mixed, without cooling, with fresh feed gas and is recirculated to the catalyst bed. The amount of the recycled gas is less than 5 times the amount of fresh feed gas. The foregoing process produces a product gas containing methane from a feed gas containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen.