Patent ID: 6884909

Claim:
A process for preparing saturated carboxylic acid having from one to four carbon atoms by gas-phase oxidation, which comprises reacting 2-butanone with oxygen by contact with a coated catalyst, said coated catalyst comprising an inert nonporous support body having an external surface and a catalytically active mixed oxide composition comprising (a) at least one oxide selected from the group consisting of titanium dioxide, zirconium dioxide, tin dioxide an aluminum oxide, and (b) from 0.1% to 1.5% by weight, based on the weight of the component (a) and per in 2 /g of specific surface area of the component (a), of vanadium pentoxide, applied to the external surface of the support body, and said 2-butanone being selected from the group consisting of (1) pure 2-butanone as feedstock as carbon source; and (2) 2-butanone-containing primary product mixtures obtained in preparation of 2-butanone are used directly as feedstocks.