Preparation of catalyst supports and materials produced thereby

Abstract From the Canadian patent

A process for the formation of a spherical catalyst support comprising the steps of:, (a) forming a mixture comprising: (i) 30-85 wt.% diatomite;, (ii) 15-40 wt.% solvent; (iii) 0-15 wt.% fluxing agent; and, (iv) 0-15 wt.% organic burnout material; (b) forming said mixture into generally spherical balls;, (c) calcining said balls at A temperature in the range of about 700° to 2300°F for about 10 - 45 minutes; and, (d) thereafter, depositing at least one catalytically active substance on the surface of said spherical support in any suitable manner. The spherical support produced by the above process is especially useful as a support for immobilizing enzymes and microbial cells.