TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preparation (Claimed): Preparation (P1) of the catalyst (A1) involves(1) process (A): drying a catalyst precursor which is water-wet hydrated zirconium sulfate impregnated onto a support, or a water-wet sulfated zirconia impregnated onto a support, or a water-wet mixture of hydrated zirconia and sulfated zirconia impregnated onto a support, or water-wet co-extruded mixture of catalyst support and zirconium sulfate and/or sulfated zirconia; and calcining the resultant dried catalyst precursor by subjecting the dried catalyst precursor to progressively increasing temperatures until at least one temperature of 300-800 (preferably 350-500, especially 400) degrees C is reached, and continuing the calcination to form the activated supported catalyst; and(2) process (B): forming a water-wet catalyst precursor by i) at least one wet impregnation of the catalyst support with hydrated zirconium sulfate and/or sulfated zirconia, or ii) forming an extrudate of a water-wet mixture of a catalyst support and zirconium sulfate or sulfated zirconia; and drying the water-wet catalyst precursor and then calcining the dried catalyst precursor by subjecting the catalyst precursor to progressively increasing temperatures until at least one temperature of 300-800 (preferably 350-500, especially 400) degrees C is reached, and continuing the calcination to form the activated supported catalyst.Preferred Process: In process (A) and (B), the progressively increasing temperatures increase at a rate of 1-100 (preferably 1-20, especially 1-10, particularly 2) degrees C per minute, where the calcination period is 0.2-4 hours. In process (B), when the water-wet catalyst precursor is formed as in the step (i), then the water-wet catalyst precursor contains hydrated zirconium sulfate (10-50, preferably 20-50, especially 35-45, particularly 40) wt.%); when the water-wet catalyst precursor is formed as in the step (ii), then the water-wet catalyst precursor contains hydrated zirconium sulfate and/or sulfated zirconia (10-50, preferably 20-50, especially 35-45, particularly 40) wt.%).Preferred Components: The catalyst support is aluminum-containing catalyst support, especially alumina, silica alumina, or boehmite alumina; or silica catalyst support. The support is aluminum-containing support, especially alumina, silica alumina, or boehmite alumina; or silica support. The aluminum-containing support/aluminum-containing catalyst support is an alumina-containing support with a surface area of 470 m2/g and pore volume of 1.2 ml/g. The silica support/silica catalyst support has a surface area of 400 m2/g and pore volume of 1.1 ml/g. EXAMPLE - A co-extrusion zirconium sulfate with alumina-containing support was prepared as follows: a catalyst composition was prepared by contacting alumina-containing carrier (300 g) with a surface area of 470 m2/g and pore volume of 1.2 ml/g, with an extrusion solution. The extrusion solution was prepared by weighing demineralized water (204.45 g) into a beaker while being stirred on a heater to 50 degrees C followed by adding zirconium sulfate tetra-hydrate (Zr(SO4)2.4H2O) (219.50 g). Before extrusion the carrier was pre-calcined at 450 degrees C for one hour in a static muffle oven under ambient conditions using a temperature ramp of 10 degrees C/minute. The carrier material was added to a kneader. The extrusion solution was dosed slowly to the mixture, while kneading. The mixture that was obtained was extruded in 1.5 mm cylindrical shape. Then the sample was dried for 24 hours at 120 degrees C and calcined in flowing air at 400 degrees C for 1 hour in a rotary oven.