Zirconium oxide-doped catalyst support, method for producing the same and catalyst containing a zirconium oxide-doped catalyst support

1. Porous catalyst support consisting of a material comprising a natural sheet silicate comprising an acid-treated calcined bentonite containing ZrO 2 in particulate form dispersed throughout the material, wherein the ZrO 2 particles have a diameter of 0.5 to 20 μm and the proportion of acid-treated calcined bentonite in the catalyst support is greater than 80 mass-%.

2. Catalyst support according to claim 1 , wherein the ZrO 2 is uniformly dispersed throughout the material.

3. Porous catalyst support, in the form of a shaped body, with an outer shell, wherein the catalyst support, at least in the area of the outer shell, comprises a matrix comprising a natural sheet silicate comprising an acid-treated calcined bentonite, in which zirconium oxide (ZrO 2 ) particles are uniformly dispersed in the matrix, wherein the ZrO 2 particles have a diameter of 0.5 to 20 μm and the proportion of acid-treated calcined bentonite in the catalyst support is greater than 80 mass-%.

4. Porous catalyst support consisting of a material comprising a natural sheet silicate comprising an acid-treated calcined bentonite containing ZrO 2 in particulate form dispersed throughout the material, wherein the ZrO 2 particles have a diameter of 0.5 to 20 μm and the proportion of acid-treated calcined bentonite in the catalyst support is greater than 80 mass-%, wherein the zirconium oxide particles are contained in the catalyst support at a proportion of greater than 5 but less than 20 mass-% relative to the mass of the catalyst support.

5. Catalyst support according to claim 1 , wherein the solubility of the catalyst support in acetic acid is less than 8 wt.-%.

6. Catalyst support according to claim 1 , wherein the catalyst support has an acidity of between 1 and 150 μval/g.

7. Catalyst support according to claim 1 , wherein the catalyst support has an average pore diameter of from 8 to 30 nm.

8. Catalyst support according to claim 1 , wherein the catalyst support has a surface area less than/equal to 145 m 2 /g.

9. Catalyst support according to claim 1 , wherein the catalyst support has a surface area of from 145 to 60 m 2 /g.

10. Catalyst support according to claim 1 , wherein the catalyst support has a hardness greater than/equal to 20 N.

11. Catalyst support according to claim 1 , wherein the proportion of acid-treated calcined bentonite in the catalyst support is greater than/equal to 90 mass-% relative to the mass of the catalyst support.

12. Catalyst support according to claim 1 , wherein the catalyst support has an integral BJH pore volume of between 0.25 and 0.7 ml/g.

13. Catalyst support according to claim 1 , wherein at least 80% of the integral pore volume of the catalyst support is formed from mesopores and micropores.

14. Catalyst support according to claim 1 , wherein the catalyst support has a bulk density of more than 0.3 g/ml.

15. Catalyst support according to claim 1 , wherein the natural sheet silicate contained in the support has an SiO 2 content of at least 65 mass-%.

16. Catalyst support according to claim 1 , wherein the natural sheet silicate contained in the support contains less than 10 mass-% Al 2 O 3 .

17. Catalyst support according to claim 1 , wherein the catalyst support is formed as a sphere, cylinder, perforated cylinder, trilobe, ring, star or as a strand.

18. Catalyst support according to claim 1 , wherein the catalyst support is formed as a sphere with a diameter greater than 2 mm.

19. Catalyst support according to claim 1 , wherein the catalyst support is doped with at least one oxide of a metal selected from the group consisting of Hf, Ti, Nb, Ta, W, Mg, Re, Y and Fe.

20. Catalyst support according to claim 19 , wherein the proportion of doping oxide in the catalyst support is between 1.0 and 20 mass-%.