Patent ID: 7378370

Claim:
A process for making a reforming catalyst comprising the steps of: a) preparing a precursor by combining a calcium compound and an aluminum compound, and then adding graphite and water to form granules; b) forming said granules into a desired shape; c) treating said shaped granules in a reactor under steam pressure up to 150 psig for about 4 to 24 hours; d) adding to said treated shaped granules a promoter compound selected from the group consisting of zirconium hydroxide, zirconium oxide, calcium zirconate, zirconium nitrate, zirconium metal, yttrium oxide, yttrium nitrate, yttrium carbonate, yttrium aluminum oxide, yttrium carbide, titanium oxides, titanium hydroxide, calcium titanate, titanium metal, organic forms of titanium compounds, niobium oxides, organic forms of niobium compounds, lanthanum oxide, lanthanum hydroxide, lanthanum carbonate, lanthanum nitrate, cerium oxides, cerium hydroxide, cerium carbonate, cerium nitrate, praseodymium oxide, praseodymium nitrate, neodymium nitrate, neodymium oxide, promethium, samarium nitrate, samarium oxide, europium nitrate, europium oxide, gadolinium nitrate, gadolinium oxide, ytterbium nitrate, and combinations thereof; e) calcining said treated shaped granules at a temperature of from about 250° C. to about 1700° C. for from about 6 hours to about 36 hours; f) impregnating said calcined granules with a metal salt solution; and, g) calcining at a temperature from about 350° C. to about 650° C. for from about 1 hour to about 5 hours.