A process for continuously producing geometric shaped catalyst bodies K which comprise, as an active material, a multielement oxide which comprises, as elements E other than oxygen, the element Mo, at least one of the two elements Bi and V, and at least one further element from the group consisting of Co, Ni, Fe, Cu and the alkali metals, in process stages A) to G), in which
- in process stage A), a finely divided mixture M comprising sources Q of the elements E is prepared with the proviso that at most 10% by weight of the total weight of the particles present in the finely divided mixture M have a particle diameter of dM≧160 μm and the particle diameter d50M of the particles of the finely divided mixture M satisfies the condition 1 μm≦d50M≦150 μm;
- in process stage B), the finely divided mixture M*, which consists either only of the finely divided mixture M or of a mixture of the finely divided mixture M and fines F which are obtained in the next process stage C) and are recycled into process stage B) continuously or batchwise from process stage C), is compacted by press agglomeration in which the maximum pressure applied is P1 to agglomerates A whose longest dimension is ≧3 mm;
- in process stage C), the agglomerates A are comminuted and the particulate material formed in the comminution is separated by sieving into a powder P whose particle diameters dP are ≦2 mm and, to an extent of at least 90% by weight, based on the weight of the powder P, ≧160 μm, as sieve oversize, and into fines F as sieve undersize, and the fines F are recycled continuously or batchwise into process stage B to obtain finely divided mixture M*;
- in process stage D), the powder P conducted into it or a mixture P* consisting of the powder P conducted into process stage D) and shaping assistants is used to obtain, by press agglomeration in which the maximum pressure applied is P2 and satisfies the relationship P2≧2·P1, geometric shaped bodies V with the proviso that
- when the powder P is conveyed into process stage D) and when shaping assistants are mixed into the powder P, a particle diameter dP≧160 μm is maintained overall in at least 40% by weight of the particles of the powder P, based on the weight thereof;
- and
- in process stage E), at least a portion of the shaped bodies V is treated thermally at elevated temperature to obtain the geometric shaped catalyst bodies K, wherein
- prior to process stage E), the shaped bodies V obtained in process stage D) are separated in an additional separation stage as process stage F) into non-intact shaped bodies V− and into intact shaped bodies V+, the shaped bodies V+ are fed to process stage E) and
- in process stage G), non-intact shaped bodies V− are comminuted to form a finely divided aggregate H whose particle diameter d50H satisfies the condition 1 μm≦d50H≦150 μm and which comprises particles having a particle diameter dH≧160 μm to an extent of at most 10% by weight of its total weight, and the finely divided aggregate H is recycled continuously or batchwise to the additional incorporation into the finely divided mixture M* into process stage B) with the proviso that the content of finely divided aggregate H in the finely divided mixture M*, based on the total weight of the finely divided mixture M*, does not exceed 20% by weight, and
- wherein d50M and d50H are based on volume-based particle diameter distribution determined according to ISO 13320 at a dispersion pressure of 2 bar absolute.