Process for producing formaldehyde

摘要

Formaldehyde is prepared by dehydrogenating methanol in the substantial absence of oxygen and in the presence of a catalyst which is a zinc-silicon complex oxide obtained by mixing a solution containing a zinc salt of an inorganic or organic acid with a solution containing an inorganic silicate compound, or by adding urea to a solution containing a zinc salt of an inorganic or organic acid and an organic silicate compound, until a precipitate is formed, and subsequently baking the precipitate at at least 500 DEG C.