Patent ID: 7871513

Claim:
A method comprising: preparing a calcined mixture having a pore size distribution such that at least 70% of the total pore volume of said calcined mixture is in the pores of said calcined mixture having a pore diameter in the range of from 70 angstroms to 150 angstroms by calcining a mixture, wherein said mixture is prepared by co-mulling particulate molybdenum trioxide, comprising molybdenum trioxide particles of a particle size of greater than 0.2 μm and less than 500 μm; inorganic refractory oxide selected from the group consisting of silica, alumina, and silica-alumina; and a nickel compound to provide said mixture; wherein said mixture comprises less than 2 weight percent, based on the total weight of said mixture, of a molybdenum compound other than molybdenum trioxide, an amount of molybdenum trioxide so as to provide a molybdenum content in said calcined mixture in the range upwardly to 12 weight percent, as metal, with the weight percent being based on the total weight of said calcined mixture, an amount of nickel compound so as to provide a nickel content in said calcined mixture in the range upwardly to 4 weight percent, as metal, with the weight percent being based on the total weight of said calcined mixture, and an amount of inorganic refractory oxide so as to provide from 50 to 95 weight percent inorganic refractory oxide in said calcined mixture, with the weight percent being based on the total weight of said calcined mixture.