Process for the continuous production of a catalyst

1. A process for continuous production of a catalyst comprising an alloy of a metal of the platinum group and at least one second metal as alloying metal selected from the group consisting of a metal of the platinum group and a transition metal, the process comprising:

(a) mixing a catalyst precursor comprising a metal of the platinum group with at least one thermally decomposable compound each comprising the alloying metal to give an alloy precursor; and

(b) heating the alloy precursor in a continuously operated furnace for from 45 minutes to 5 hours to produce the alloy comprised in the catalyst,

wherein the heating is carried out in a first and a second temperature stage,

with a temperature of the first temperature stage being lower than a temperature of the second temperature stage, and

the temperature of the first temperature stage is in a range from 350 to 480° C., and

the temperature of the second temperature stage is in a range from 550 to 680° C.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the heating is carried out in a continuously operated furnace, which is a rotary tube furnace or a belt calciner.

3. The process of claim 2 , wherein a residence time in the continuously operated furnace is in a range from 30 minutes to 10 hours.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the heating in (b) is carried out under a reducing atmosphere.

5. The process of claim 4 , wherein the reducing atmosphere comprises hydrogen.

6. The process of claim 4 , wherein a proportion of hydrogen in the reducing atmosphere is less than 30% by volume.

7. The process of claim 1 , wherein the temperature of the second temperature stage is at least 100° C. higher than the temperature of the first temperature stage.

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst precursor comprising the metal of the platinum group is present as metallic powder, or further comprises a support.

9. The process of claim 8 , wherein the support is present and is a carbon support.

10. The process of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst precursor comprising the metal of the platinum group has a residual moisture content of up to 50% by weight of water.

11. The process of claim 1 , wherein the metal of the platinum group is platinum.

12. The process of claim 1 , wherein the alloying metal is selected from the group consisting of ruthenium, cobalt, nickel, and palladium.

13. The process of claim 1 , wherein the at least one thermally decomposable compound is a metal-organic compound or a metal complex.

14. The process of claim 13 , wherein the at least one metal-organic compound or the at least one metal complex comprising the at least one alloying metal is present as powder or as a solution in a solvent.

15. The process of claim 1 , wherein the at least one alloying metal is present

as a metal complex with an olefin, an aromatic, or 2,4-pentanedione as ligand,

as a mixed cyclopentadienyl-carbonyl complex, or

as a pure or mixed carbonyl, phosphane, cyano, or isocyano complex.

16. The process of claim 15 , wherein the at least one metal-organic compound or the at least one metal complex comprising the at least one alloying metal is present as powder or as a solution in a solvent.

17. The process of claim 15 , wherein the at least one alloying metal is present as a metal complex with dimethyl octadiene or pyridine.

18. The process of claim 1 , wherein the at least one alloying metal is present as a metal complex with acetylacetonate or 2,4-pentanedione as ligand.

19. The process of claim 18 , wherein the at least one metal-organic compound or the at least one metal complex comprising the at least one alloying metal is present as powder or as a solution in a solvent.

20. The process of claim 1 , further comprising:

passivating the catalyst comprising the alloy after the heating to form the alloy in (b).