Catalyst for the oxidation of sulfur dioxide and method for the production of the catalyst

A method for the production of a catalyst for the oxidation of sulfur dioxide contained in an oxygen-containing gas current, said catalyst comprising:

• A.sub.1) Vanadium oxide;
• A.sub.2) Alkali metal oxide, alkali metal sulfate or mixtures thereof, as a catalytically active substance;
• B) Silicon, aluminum or mixtures thereof, in the form of oxides, as a surface area enlarging component;
• wherein that the catalyst further includes:
• C) Titanium oxide in anatase form, rutile form or mixtures thereof, as a carrier material and a ceramic binder;
• said catalyst being a solid catalyst having catalytic active material through and through, wherein a mixture of the components A) through C) is present in a finely sintered form with atomic ratios between the metals of the components according to A.sub.1):A.sub.2):B):C) in the range of (0.01-0.2)(0.01-0.2):(0.001-0.5):1, said method comprising:
• intensively processing components A) through C) to a homogeneous mass in finely divided form;
• pressing or extruding the mass to a desired green body;
• drying the green body under a slow elevation of the temperature to at the most 60.degree. C. with controlled moisture of the ambient air;
• calcining under gradual elevation of the temperature in the ambient air to the range of 500.degree. C.-800.degree. C.;
• and
• sintering at a temperature in this range for at least 12 hours.