Patent ID: 7518023

Claim:
A spherical metal support catalyst having a metal content of 10 to 70% by mass formed by a process comprising: selecting a mixture of at least one polysaccharide and at least one metal compound chosen from the group consisting of: a) metal oxides, b) metal hydroxides, c) basic metal carbonates, d) metal hydrogen carbonates, e) metal silicates, f) metal zirconates, g) metal aluminates, h) metal titanates, i) metal chromites and j) metal aluminosilicate, of iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, or zinc, dissolved or suspended in a liquid medium, dropping said mixture into a metal salt solution so as to form spheres from the mixture, and forming catalyst spheres by separating the spheres from the metal salt solution after a standing time of 1 to 180 minutes, drying the spheres at temperatures of 80 to 150° C., and reducing the spheres at temperatures of 150 to 600° C.