Production of Ketones

1,191,854. Catalyst compositions. EASTMAN KODAK CO. 23 June, 1967 [27 June, 1966], No. 29009/67. Heading B1E. [Also in Divisions C1 and C2] A catalyst composition, for use in the production of a ketone or a mixture of ketones from a gaseous or vaporous mixture containing a saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid and at least one saturated aliphatic aldehyde, comprises an oxide of thorium supported on a carrier material, for example activated alumina in for example the gamma, eta, chi, kappa or theta form. The composition has a content of oxide of thorium preferably of from I to 25, advantageously of from 10 to 20, weight per cent; the oxide of thorium may be the result of the action of heat on at least one thorium salt, for example the carbonate, nitrate acetate, oxalate or isobutyrate. According to Example 1, a composition having a calculated thorium dioxide (ThO 2 ) content of 10 weight per cent is prepared by dissolving 95.5 g. thorium nitrate tetrahydrate in 150 ml. distilled water, adding the resulting solution to 423.8 g. activated gamma alumina tablets having a surface area of from 80 to 100 square metres per gram and a pore volume of from 0.28 to 0.33 cubic centimetres per gram, allowing the resulting mixture to soak for one hour with stirring, heating the resulting impregnated tablets to 110‹C with stirring, and calcining the resulting heated and impregnated tablets in a muffle furnace initially for 2 hours at 300‹C and thereafter for 3 hours at 500‹C. The tablets may be # inch in size.