TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Catalyst: X and/or Y may be several elements, possibly with different values of c and d for different elements, b = 0.0001-0.001, and catalysts especially comprise composition:(a) MoaPdbVcNbdSbeCaf with a = 1.00, e = 0.01 and f = 0.01, and b = 0.0005, c = 0.45 and d = 0.03, or b = 0.00075, c = 0.45 and d = 0.03, or b = 0.00075 c = 0.55 and d = 0.03, or b = 0.00075, c = 0.45 and d = 0.06, or b = 0.0008, c = 0.55 and d = 0.06, or b = 0.00085, c = 0.55 and d = 0.06, or b = 0.00075, c = 0.55 and d = 0.09;(b) MoaPdbVcNbdSbeCafKg with a = 1.00, b = 0.0005, c = 0.45, d = 0.03, e = 0.01, f = 0.01 and g = 0.015;(c) MoaPdbVcNbdTeeCaf with a = 1.00, b = 0.0008, c = 0.50, d = 0.15, e = 0.01 and f = 0.01;(d) MoaPdbVcNbdWePdf (sic) with a = 1.00, b = 0.00075, c = 0.50, d = 0.09, e = 0.01 and f = 0.0003.The catalyst may be mixed with or fixed on a support material.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Process: Oxidation is carried out at 200-500degreesC and 1-50 bar using a mixture of ethane with at least one other gas, preferably nitrogen, oxygen, methane, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, ethylene and/or water vapor. Selectivity for ethane and/or ethylene to acetic acid is at least 70 mol%. EXAMPLE - Four solutions containing:    (a) palladium acetate (0.039 g) in 100 ml acetone, ammonium molybdate (40g) in 100 ml water,    (b) ammonium metavanadate (14.7 g) in 200 ml water,    (c) niobium oxalate (12.75 g), antimony oxalate (0.96 g) and calcium nitrate (0.68 g) in 100 ml water, and    (d) palladium acetate (0.039 g) in 100 ml acetone,    were combined by adding (b) to (c), stirring for 15 minutes at 70degreesC, mixing with (a) followed by (d) and stirring for 15 minutes at 70degreesC. The mixture was concentrated to 400 ml and worked-up by spray drying, drying at 120 degreesC in air for 2 hours and calcinating at 300degreesC for 5 hours to give catalyst (IV), which was pelleted, crushed and sieved (0.35-0.7 mm), and had composition: MoaPdbVcNbdSbeCaf with a = 1.00, b = 0.00075, c = 0.55, d = 0.09, e = 0.01, f = 0.01.    The catalyst (IV) was tested at 280degreesC and 15 bar with a mixture of ethane, oxygen, nitrogen and water vapor (40/8/32/20 vol%). Reaction proceeded with a residence time of 15 (30) seconds, an ethane conversion of 14 (15) % and a space-time yield of 215 (72) kg/h/m3, with selectivities of 91 (77) % for acetic acid, 1 (2) % for ethylene and 8 (21) % for carbon monoxide plus dioxide; where values in brackets are for a catalyst containing only Mo, Pd, V and Nb as described in DE P 19630832.1.