Patent ID: 7132384

Claim:
A process for producing a composite oxide catalyst to be used for gas phase oxidation of an olefin or unsaturated aldehyde with molecular oxygen to produce the corresponding unsaturated aldehyde and/or unsaturated carboxylic acid, which comprises molding a catalyst component-containing powder and calcining a molded product obtained in the molding step, wherein: said molding comprises adding graphite particles having a combustion initiating temperature in a differential thermogravimetric analysis higher by at least 50° C. than the calcination temperature in the next calcination step to the catalyst component-containing powder in an amount of from 0.5 to 10 wt %, based on the powder, followed by molding, and said calcining is conducted at a temperature of at least 250° C. and, wherein said temperature is lower by at least 50° C. than the combustion initiating temperature of the graphite particles.