A new green process to produce activated alumina by spray pyrolysis

Abstract

A green process that uses the spray pyrolysis method to prepare activated alumina is proposed in this research. The effects of spray temperature, carrier gas pressure, and AlCl3 solution concentration are experimentally investigated using pure reagents. The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and specific surface area (BET) analyses. The results indicate that the spray temperature is the most important factor on the conversion ratio of alumina during the spray pyrolysis process. The conversion ratio of alumina achieved over 99% at the following optimal conditions: temperature of 1000°C, pressure of 0.3 MPa, and AlCl3 solution concentration of 10 wt%. The activated alumina with 8–20 nm particle size (γ-Al2O3+α-Al2O3) was prepared using the same process, which well met the requirement of the catalyst carrier. The green utilization of high-alumina fly ash and acid recycling can be achieved by using this process.

Keywords

• activated alumina
• orthogonal test
• phase transformation
• pore structure
• spray pyrolysis