Abstract
Control of a radial concentration of nickel metal partioles in an alumina sphere was achieved by impregnating the spheres with a solution composed of nickel nitrate dissolved in ethylene glycol, ethyl silicate, and a small amount of nitric acid. The position of the nickel narrowband from the center of the sphere was well controlled merely by the impregnating time. The nickel loading in the catalyst was intentionally varied with the nickel concentration in the impregnating solution. The external surface of the catalyst prepared was covered with thin SiO2 films resulting from the gelling of ethyl silicate over the alumina sphere. The micropores observed in the thin SiO2 films were sharply sized around 20 Å.
