Non-shrinking alumina-based catalyst compositions

Preshaped forms, e.g., pellets, of high-surface-area alumina are impregnated with a solution of a boron compound which upon calcination yields B2O3, then dried and calcined at temperatures between about 675 DEG and 1400 DEG C. The resulting product has a moderately high surface area and pore volume, and undergoes substantially no shrinkage when utilized for catalytic purposes at temperatures up to about 1600 DEG C. For catalytic purposes, the thus stabilized alumina forms may be utilized as such, or they may be impregnated with salts of catalytic metals and again calcined to yield supported catalysts of similar physical stability.