Niobic acid was crystallized at 120-degrees-C for 48 h, which showed t
he largest acid amounts at higher acid strengths. The crystallized nio
bic acid calcined at 300-degrees-C was found to show higher activity t
han uncrystallized niobic acid and niobic acid washed with water or tr
eated with sulfuric acid or phosphoric acid for the dehydration of iso
propanol and the esterification of ethanol with acetic acid.