PROCESS FOR PRODUCING A CATALYST CONTAINING COPPER AND SILICIUM OXIDE

摘要

A catalyst containing copper and silica is prepared by a process in which an aqueous alkali metal silicate solution containing from 1 to 26% by weight of SiO2 is brought to a pH of from 0.5 to 2.0 with nitric acid, an aqueous copper nitrate solution containing from 5 to 15% by weight of Cu is added, after the addition of the nitric acid, so that a clear solution containing from 0.18 to 3.0 moles of Cu per mole of SiO2 is formed, the resulting solution is mixed with an aqueous alkali metal carbonate solution at from 40 DEG to 80 DEG C., the pH of the mixture being kept at from 7.5 to 8.5, and the precipitated material is separated off, dried, calcined by heating at from 250 DEG to 400 DEG C. and pressed in a conventional manner to give catalyst moldings. The catalyst thus obtained is used for the hydrogenation of dialkyl dicarboxylates to diols.