| abstract |
Shaped oxidation catalyst structures containing catalytic material comprised of mixed oxides of vanadium and phosphorus which are useful for the production of maleic anhydride via the partial oxidation of nonaromatic hydrocarbons, particularly n-butane, in the vapor phase with molecular oxygen or a molecular oxygen-containing gas are provided. Such structures are characterized by exhibiting (a) a geometric volume of from about 30 percent to about 67 percent of that exhibited by the void space-free solid geometric form, (b) an external geometric surface area/geometric volume ratio of at least about 20 cm-1, (c) a bulk density of from about 0.4 g/cm3 to about 1.4 g/cm3, and (d) a mechanical resistance sufficient to maintain substantially the structural integrity of the shaped structure under handling and use conditions. |