Patent ID: 6875720

Claim:
A method of treating an untreated catalyst support to suppress its solubility in neutral and/or acid aqueous solutions, which method includes contacting an untreated catalyst support which is partially soluble in an aqueous acid solution and/or in a neutral aqueous solution with a modifying component precursor of the formula Me(OR)x where Me is a modifying component selected from Si, Zr, Ti, Cu, Zn, Mn, Ba, Co, Ni, Na, K, Ca, Sn, Cr, Fe, Li, Tl, Mg, Sr, Ga, Sb, V, Hf, Th, Ce, Ge, U, Nb, Ta, and W, R is an alkyl or acyl group, and x is an integer having a value of from 1 to 5, thereby to introduce the modifying component onto and/or into the catalyst support and to form a protected modified catalyst support which is thus less soluble or more inert in the aqueous acid solution and/or the neutral aqueous solution, than the untreated catalyst support, with no calcination of the catalyst support, after treatment thereof with the modifying component precursor, being effected.