Abstract:
Disclosed are a process for producing a supported ruthenium oxide excellent in thermal stability and catalyst lifetime, and a process for stably producing chlorine by the use of the supported ruthenium oxide obtained by the above-described process, for a longer time. The process for producing a supported ruthenium oxide comprises the steps of supporting a ruthenium compound on a powdery titania carrier, and calcining the powdery titania carrier with the ruthenium compound thereon, under an atmosphere of an oxidizing gas, wherein the powdery titania carrier comprises titania and silica supported on the titania, and wherein a ratio of rutile type titania to total of the rutile type titania and anatase type titania in the powdery titania carrier is 50% or more, when measured by the X-ray diffraction method. Chlorine is produced by oxidizing hydrogen chloride with oxygen in the presence of the supported ruthenium oxide thus produced, as a catalyst.