Patent ID: 7196037

Claim:
A method of producing a catalyst carrier, which method comprises: (a) intimately contacting a silicon-containing ceramic material with a solution of an aluminum containing metal compound to impregnate the material with the solution; (b) separating the impregnated material of (a) from the solution and heating and drying the impregnated material; (c) firing the material of (b) at a temperature of 300° C. to 500° C. to form an amorphous alumina thin film on a surface of the material; (d) immersing the material of (c) in water having a temperature of from 50° C. to 100° C. and thereafter drying the material; and (e) firing the material of (d) at a temperature of from 500° C. to 120° C.; wherein the fired material of (e) comprises a film of alumina having a specific surface area of 50–300 m 2 /g and a microscopic view thereof indicates a bristled transplant structure comprising fibers having a diameter of from 2 nm to 50 nm, a length of from 20 nm to 300 nm and a ratio of length/diameter of from 5 to 100.