Patent ID: 6930072

Claim:
A fixed bed reactor for oxidizing methanol in a reactant feed stream to formaldehyde, said fixed bed reactor comprising an inlet end, a depth, a length, a width, an upstream region, a downstream region, and an outlet end wherein said fixed bed reactor comprises: (a) a vanadia-titania first catalyst in said upstream region wherein said vanadia-titania first catalyst is substantially free of MoO 3 ; and (b) a metal molybdate second catalyst in said downstream region wherein said metal molybdate second catalyst initially is free or substantially free of V 205 O 5 and wherein said metal molybdate second catalyst is selected from the group consisting of molybdates of iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), aluminum (Al), zirconium (Zr), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn) and mixtures thereof.