Preparation of improved catalyst composition

摘要

A process for preparing a catalyst composition comprising copper oxide, zinc oxide and aluminum oxide as essential ingredients and optionally containing boron oxide, which comprises (a) a step of precipitating from an aqueous solution of a water-soluble copper salt optionally containing a water-soluble boron compound the copper component, together with the boron component if it is present, using an alkaline substance selected from alkali carbonates and alkali bicarbonates as a precipitant; (b) a step of blowing carbon dioxide gas into an aqueous dispersion of a zinc compound selected from zinc oxide and zinc hydroxide optionally containing a water-soluble boron compound to convert the zinc compound to basic zinc carbonate and simultaneously precipitate the boron component if it is present; and (c) a step of calcining a mixture of the solid products obtained in steps (a) and (b) in the presence of an alumina precursor compound. The resulting catalyst is useful for synthesizing methanol from a gaseous mixture of carbon monoxide and/or carbon dioxide and hydrogen.