Aluminosilicate catalyst, a process for the manufacture thereof and a process for the skeletal isomerization of linear olefins

A process for the manufacture of a catalyst suitable for use in acid catalyzed reactions, or as a support in metal catalyzed reactions, comprising the steps of:

• a) forming an aqueous solution of sodium aluminate, an aqueous solution of a template, and a slurry of silica, the sodium aluminate solution and template solution then being mixed with the silica slurry in such manner as to produce a reaction mixture wherein the molar ratio of silica to alumina varies from about 1000:1 to 1:1000 and the molar ratio of template to silica varies from about 1:200 to 1:1;
• b) subjecting the reaction mixture of step (a) to hydrothermal treatment by heating the mixture at a temperature of from about 30.degree. C. to 200.degree. C. for a period of time ranging from about 1 hour to about 96 hours, the reaction conditions and duration of reaction being selected so as to produce a solid which is at least 76% amorphous;
• and
• c) separating the solid from the aqueous solution.