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A cobalt catalyst precursor includes a catalyst support impregnated with cobalt. All reducible cobalt is present in the support as supported cobalt oxide of formula-unit CoOaHb, where a≧1,7 and b≧0. A process for preparing a cobalt catalyst precursor, and a process for preparing a coba

A cobalt catalyst precursor includes a catalyst support impregnated with cobalt. All reducible cobalt is present in the support as supported cobalt oxide of formula-unit CoOaHb, where a≧1,7 and b≧0. A process for preparing a cobalt catalyst precursor, and a process for preparing a cobalt catalyst are also provided.

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1. A cobalt catalyst precursor which includes a catalyst support impregnated with cobalt, with all reducible cobalt being present in the support as supported cobalt oxide of formula-unit CoO a H b , where a≧1.7 and b>0. 2. A cobalt catalyst precursor according to claim 1, wherein all t

1. A cobalt catalyst precursor which includes a catalyst support impregnated with cobalt, with all reducible cobalt being present in the support as supported cobalt oxide of formula-unit CoO a H b , where a≧1.7 and b>0. 2. A cobalt catalyst precursor according to claim 1, wherein all the reducible cobalt is present as Co 2 O 3 .H 2 O or CoO(OH). 3. A cobalt catalyst precursor according to claim 1, wherein all the reducible cobalt is present as a mixture of Co 3 O 4 and CoO(OH) or Co 2 O 3 .H 2 O. 4. A cobalt catalyst precursor according to claim 1, which contains between 5 g Co/100 g support and 70 g Co/100 g support. 5. A process for preparing a cobalt catalyst precursor, which process includesin a support impregnation stage, impregnating a particulate porous catalyst support with a cobalt salt, and partially drying the impregnated support, with the resultant partially dried impregnated support containing residual moisture; andin a calcination stage, calcining the partially dried impregnated support to obtain the cobalt catalyst precursor, with the calcination being effected in air at a temperature between 95° C. and 400° C, and by using an air space velocity and a support heating rate such that all reducible cobalt is present in the support of the precursor as a supported cobalt oxide of formula-unit CoO a H b , where a≧1.7 and b>0. 6. A process for preparing a cobalt catalyst, which process includespreparing a cobalt catalyst precursor by the process as claimed in claim 5; andin a reduction stage, reducing the cobalt catalyst precursor, to obtain the cobalt catalyst. 7. A process for preparing a cobalt catalyst precursor according to claim 5 wherein, in the calcination stage, the calcination includes passing hot air over and around the partially dried impregnated support, thereby drying the impregnated support further by removal of the residual moisture present therein; and calcining the resultant dried impregnated support by decomposition of the cobalt salt into decomposition products comprising oxide(s) and any water of hydration, with the decomposition products being released in vapour form. 8. A process for preparing a cobalt catalyst precursor according to claim 7, which includes diluting or removing the decomposition products obtained during the calcination. 9. A process for preparing a cobalt catalyst precursor according to claim 7, wherein the cobalt salt is cobalt nitrate so that the oxides that are formed as decomposition products are nitrogen oxides; wherein the calcination is performed in a fluidized bed calciner; and wherein after calcination, the nitrogen concentration in the catalyst precursor is less than 1.0 m %. 10. A process for preparing a cobalt catalyst precursor according to claim 9, wherein, during the calcination in the fluidized bed, the heating rate of the impregnated support and the space velocity of the air are controlled such that the residual moisture in the support is first driven off, whereafter decomposition of the cobalt nitrate is effected. 11. A process for preparing a cobalt catalyst precursor according to claim 10, wherein the air space velocity is at least 1.0 m n 3 /(kg Co(NO 3 ) 2 .6H 2 O)/h; and wherein the heating rate complies with the following criteria: when the air space velocity= 1.0 m n 3 /(kg Co(NO 3 ) 2 .6H 2 O)/h, the heating rate≦1° C./min; however, when the air space velocity>1.0 m n 3 /(kg Co(NO 3 ) 2 .6H 2 O)/h used, heating rates up to x° C./min, where x≧1, are allowed. 12. A process for preparing a cobalt catalyst precursor according to claim 10, which includes, in the calcination stage, initially heating the impregnated support until it reaches a calcination temperature, Tc, and thereafter, maintaining it at the calcination temperature, Tc, for a period of time, tc. 13. A process for preparing a cobalt catalyst precursor according to claim 12, wherein the heating rate up to the calcination temperature, Tc, is non-linear. 14. A process for preparing a cobalt catalyst precursor according to claim 12, wherein the period of time, tc, for which isothermal calcination is applied at the calcination temperature, Tc, is between 0.1 and 20 hours. 15. A process for preparing a cobalt catalyst precursor according to claim 9, wherein the partially dried impregnated support from the support impregnation stage is not stored and not heated or cooled prior to the subsequent fluidized bed calcination stage so that it passes into the fluidized bed calcination stage at substantially the same temperature at which it leaves the support impregnation stage. 16. A process for preparing a cobalt catalyst precursor, which process includesin a support impregnation stage, impregnating a particulate porous catalyst support with a cobalt salt, and partially drying the impregnated support, with the resultant partially dried impregnated support containing residual moisture; andin a calcination stage, calcining the partially dried impregnated support by passing air over and around the partially dried impregnated support, and heating the impregnated support to a temperature between 95° C. and 400° C. to obtain the cobalt catalyst precursor, wherein the heating rate of the impregnated support and the space velocity of the air are controlled such that the residual moisture in the support is first driven off, whereafter decomposition of the cobalt salt into decomposition products comprising oxide(s) and any water of hydration, is effected, and wherein all reducible cobalt then is present in the support of the precursor as a supported cobalt oxide of formula-unit CoO a H b , where a≧1.7 and b>0. 17. A process for preparing a cobalt catalyst, which process includespreparing a cobalt catalyst precursor by the process as claimed in claim 16; andin a reduction stage, reducing the cobalt catalyst precursor, to obtain the cobalt catalyst. 18. A process for preparing a cobalt catalyst precursor according to claim 16, wherein the decomposition products are released in vapour form, with the process including diluting or removing the decomposition products. 19. A process for preparing a cobalt catalyst precursor according to claim 16, wherein the cobalt salt is cobalt nitrate so that the oxides that are formed as decomposition products are nitrogen oxides; wherein the calcination is performed in a fluidized bed calciner; and wherein after calcination, the nitrogen concentration in the catalyst precursor is less than 1.0 m %. 20. A process for preparing a cobalt catalyst precursor according to claim 19, wherein the air space velocity is at least 1.0 m n 3 /(kg Co(NO 3 )2.6H 2 O)/h; and wherein the heating rate complies with the following criteria: when the air space velocity= 1.0 m n 3 /(kg Co(NO 3 ) 2 .6H 2 O)/h, the heating rate≦1° C./min; however, when the air space velocity>1.0 m n 3 /(kg Co(NO 3 ) 2 .6H 2 O)/h used, heating rates up to x° C./min, where x≧1, are allowed. 21. A process for preparing a cobalt catalyst precursor according to claim 19, which includes, in the calcination stage, initially heating the impregnated support until it reaches a calcination temperature, Tc, and thereafter, maintaining it at the calcination temperature, Tc, for a period of time, tc. 22. A process for preparing a cobalt catalyst precursor according to claim 21, wherein the heating rate up to the calcination temperature, Tc, is nonlinear. 23. A process for preparing a cobalt catalyst precursor according to claim 21, wherein the period of time, tc, for which isothermal calcination is applied at the calcination temperature, Tc, is between 0.1 and 20 hours. 24. A process for preparing a cobalt catalyst precursor according to claim 19, wherein the partially dried impregnated support from the support impregnation stage is not stored and not heated or cooled prior to the subsequent fluidize d bed calcination stage so that it passes into the fluidized bed calcination stage at substantially the same temperature at which it leaves the support impregnation stage.