CATALYTIC MATERIALS COMPRISING LAYERED CLAY MACROSPHERES

摘要

A catalytic material comprises macrospheres consisting essentially of an acid-leached calcined layered clay mineral having a surface area of at least 100 m<2>/g and an average pore diameter of at least 20 Angstroms the macrospheres having a bulk density not above 1.0 g/cc. The surface acidity is preferably at least 0.3 m mole H<+>/g and the free acidity is preferably at least 0.1 %. The material may be produced by acid-treating a layered clay mineral followed by washing, balling and calcining. The material may be used to catalyse bromine index reductions, alkylations of phenols, alkylations of benzene or esterifications of alcohols.