The magnesia catalyst was made using pea sized pumice (some patents were seen supporting similar catalytic materials using perlite for cracking petroleum hydrocarbons; other art). Enough pea sized pumice to fill FOAF's combustion (now catalyst) tube was covered with enough Milk of Magnesia so that the pumice 'had looked like it had been white washed' (good description) and at the same time the pores were not clogged (for maximum catalytic surface area). A 98% silica combustion tube was used which was wrapped with a heating tape (max temp 800 degrees C) and was covered with glass wool as insulation. 2-3 teaspoons of calamine lotion (ZnO and Fe oxide; see US patent 5750795, for example, especially tables 1 and 2) was added to the catalyst and it was heated, alternately, on a gas stove and in a microwave oven to dry it and convert it to MgO. It was found that when the catalyst was placed in the tube and heated to about 500+ degrees C (with air pumped through it) that the Mg(OH)2 could more easily be dehydrated (H2O given off and condensed) and converted to MgO.
*Note: add calamine lotion before putting in combustion tube (maybe a little sloppy here, have to read over it some more, questions must be in chemical language as formally taught in college, nothing else will be understood (I did get a couple private messages))