Method of manufacturing a catalyst

A method of manufacturing a catalyst, a catalyst precursor, or a catalyst support comprising:

• (a) mixing a refractory metal oxide or precursor thereof with a liquid and optionally a catalytically active component or a precursor thereof to form a paste;
• (b) adding said paste to an extruder, the extruder having a die plate comprising one or more dies, each die having a plurality of apertures, each aperture having an inlet and an outlet, the outlet of each aperture having a cross sectional area of 6 mm2 or less;
• and
• (c) extruding the paste through said apertures to form catalyst support extrudates;
• wherein the inlet of the apertures has a greater cross sectional area than the outlet of said apertures;
• and
• wherein for at least one die the combined cross sectional area of all apertures at the inlet of the apertures relative to the total cross sectional area of the die at the inlet is higher than 50%.