Catalyst support with base of silicon carbide with high specific surface area in granulated form having improved mechanical characteristics

Method for obtaining a carbide catalyst support in granular form with a SiCβ crystallite base and a high specific surface area, comprising a porosity consisting essentially of pores of size between 0.001 and 1 μm, and a crystallinity determined by:

• a full width at half maximum of diffraction X rays, corresponding to plane [2 2 0] of the SiCβ crystallites, of between 0.15 and 0.60°, angle 2θ of Bragg's law
• a bidimensional peak height [1 0] corresponding to directions [1 0] normalized by an integrated intensity of a peak of plane [2 2 0] of between 0.15 and 0.40,
• comprising the steps of:
• mixing a thermosetting resin or pitch with at least one Si and/or SiO2 powder, and optionally with additives, to form a mixture;
• shaping the mixture obtained;
• setting the resin or pitch in the shaped mixture;
• and
• heat treating the shaped mixture with set resin or pitch in a slightly oxidizing atmosphere at atmospheric pressure at a temperature of between 1300 and 1450° C. to carbonize the resin or pitch, optionally reducing SiO2in the heat treated mixture, and carburizing the silicon in the heat treated mixture, the carbonizing, reducing and carburizing being carried out only in a solid or gaseous phase.