Patent ID: 7449496

Claim:
A method for making a stabilized catalyst support comprising the following steps: a) forming a mixture of a crystalline hydrous alumina precursor and a first portion of a structural stabilizer, wherein said crystalline hydrous alumina precursor comprises two or more crystalline boehmites having different average crystallite sizes differing by at least 1 nm; b) drying said mixture, wherein drying comprises spray-drying; c) low-temperature treating the dried mixture from step (b) to form a partially-stabilized support, wherein said low-temperature treating comprises exposing said dried mixture to a temperature of about 350° C. or less to substantially retain said two or more crystalline boehmites; d) applying a second portion of said structural stabilizer to said partially-stabilized support to form a support precursor, wherein the step of applying comprises impregnation; and e) high-temperature treating said support precursor to form a stabilized support, wherein the step of high-temperature treating comprises calcining at a temperature between about 450° C. and about 900° C. to effect the conversion of said two or more crystalline boehmites to a stabilized aluminum oxide structure.