Aluminum Oxides: Alumina and Aluminosilicates

Author(s):  
Jean-Pierre Jolivet

Aluminum is the third most abundant element in Earth’s crust (8.3% in mass), behind oxygen (45.5%) and silicon (27.2%). It forms in nature various oxygenated mineral phases: hydroxides Al(OH)3, oxyhydroxides AlOOH, of which bauxite is the main ore, and oxides, Al2O3, alumina. Corundum, α- Al2O3, is the component of many gems: sapphire (pure Al2O3, perfectly colorless), ruby (red colored due to the presence of Cr3+ ions), and blue sapphire (blue colored by the presence of Ti4+ and Fe2+ ions), among many others. The content of foreign elements substituted for Al3+ ions in these phases accounts for only a small percentage of the total. Aluminum also forms many natural phases in combination with various elements, especially silicon in aluminosilicates, such as feldspars, clays, zeolites, allophanes, and imogolites. The biochemical cycling of the elements involves many soluble complexes of aluminum in natural waters [1, 2]. Aluminum oxides and oxy(hydroxi)des are important materials and nanomaterials used in many fields: for instance, as active phase for adsorption in water treatment; as inert support and active phase in catalysis; as active phase in flame-retardant polymers; as refractory material for laboratory tools and in the ceramics industry; and as abrasives [3, 4]. Alumina Al2O3 is produced in various forms (tubes, balls, fibers, and powders) for numerous industrial uses (laboratory tools, filtration membranes, ball bearings, fine powders as catalysis supports, etc.). The structural chemistry of aluminum oxy(hydroxi)des is rich. There are various hydroxides, Al(OH)3 (gibbsite, also named hydrargillite, bayerite, and some other polytypes such as nordstrandite and doyleite), oxyhydroxides, AlOOH (boehmite and diaspore), and a series of oxides, Al2O3, so-called transition aluminas. These last phases have different degrees of hydration and different degrees of order of the Al3+ cations within the cubic close packing of oxygen atoms according to the temperature at which they have been submitted. They belong to various structural types (γ, δ, θ, η, κ, etc.). These aluminas of huge specific surface areas are usually used in catalysis, especially γ-alumina of spinel crystal structure.

Materials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 1787
Author(s):  
Simon Carstens ◽  
Ralf Meyer ◽  
Dirk Enke

This article combines a systematic literature review on the fabrication of macroporous α-Al2O3 with increased specific surface area with recent results from our group. Publications claiming the fabrication of α-Al2O3 with high specific surface areas (HSSA) are comprehensively assessed and critically reviewed. An account of all major routes towards HSSA α-Al2O3 is given, including hydrothermal methods, pore protection approaches, dopants, anodically oxidized alumina membranes, and sol-gel syntheses. Furthermore, limitations of these routes are disclosed, as thermodynamic calculations suggest that γ-Al2O3 may be the more stable alumina modification for ABET > 175 m2/g. In fact, the highest specific surface area unobjectionably reported to date for α-Al2O3 amounts to 16–24 m2/g and was attained via a sol-gel process. In a second part, we report on some of our own results, including a novel sol-gel synthesis, designated as mutual cross-hydrolysis. Besides, the Mn-assisted α-transition appears to be a promising approach for some alumina materials, whereas pore protection by carbon filling kinetically inhibits the formation of α-Al2O3 seeds. These experimental results are substantiated by attempts to theoretically calculate and predict the specific surface areas of both porous materials and nanopowders.


RSC Advances ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 1253-1259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Lin ◽  
Lulu Xu ◽  
Yang Huang ◽  
Jie Li ◽  
Weijia Wang ◽  
...  

Ultrafine porous boron nitride nanofibers with high aspect ratios, high specific surface areas and large pore volumes has been synthesized in large quantity via a freeze-drying and post pyrolysis process.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gang Zhou ◽  
Han Qiu ◽  
Qi Zhang ◽  
Mao Xu ◽  
Jiayuan Wang ◽  
...  

Wettability is one of the key chemical properties of coal dust, which is very important to dedusting. In this paper, the theory of liquid wetting solid was presented firstly; then, taking the gas coal of Xinglongzhuang coal mine in China as an example, by determination of critical surface tension of coal piece, it can be concluded that only when the surface tension of surfactant solution is less than 45 mN/m can the coal sample be fully wetted. Due to the effect of particle dispersity, compared with the contact angle of milled coal particle, not all the contact angles of screened coal powder with different sizes have a tendency to increase. Furthermore, by the experiments of coal samples’ specific surface areas and porosities, it can be achieved that the volume of single-point total pore decreases with the gradual decreasing of coal’s porosity, while the ultramicropores’ dispersities and multipoint BET specific surface areas increase. Besides, by a series of contact angle experiments with different surfactants, it can be found that with the increasing of porosity and the decreasing of volume percentage of ultramicropore, the contact angle tends to reduce gradually and the coal dust is much easier to get wetted.


2010 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 1276-1278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoxing Fan ◽  
Ying Wang ◽  
Xinyi Chen ◽  
Ling Gao ◽  
Wenjun Luo ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 1534-1545
Author(s):  
Xuhui Wang ◽  
Jianchuan Sun ◽  
Shuaiqi Chen ◽  
Shuai Ren ◽  
Awang Gao ◽  
...  

A series of γ-alumina with different pore sizes (5.7 nm–21.6 nm) and similar specific surface areas were synthesized via an organic-free method and their adsorption rates and capacities for Congo red (CR), direct blue 78 (DB78) and direct green 26 (DG26) were investigated. The kinetics study reveals that the dye adsorptions of all γ-alumina samples fit the pseudo-2nd-order model. For CR, its k2 and the pore size of absorbent are in a linear relationship at low dye concentrations. Both of the experimental results and Langmuir isotherm calculation results suggest that the dye adsorption capacities of the γ-alumina prepared in our lab are much higher than those of other γ-alumina reported in literatures. GA-1 with the largest specific area of surface and largest size of pores exhibits a CR adsorption capacity up to 4213.6 mg/g. In addition, initial dye adsorption rates of the γ-alumina prepared in-house are much higher than that of the γ-alumina prepared with the commercially available alumina under the same conditions.


2011 ◽  
Vol 239-242 ◽  
pp. 3105-3108
Author(s):  
Ming Xian Liu ◽  
Li Hua Gan ◽  
Jun Hu ◽  
Hong Lai Liu ◽  
Long Wu Chen

In this paper, we present a novel approach for the synthesis of carbon microspheres via the polymerization of a high internal phase emulsion (HIPE). By using Span 80 and Tween 80 as emulsifiers, 1iquid paraffin as oil phase, and the mixture of resorcinol/formaldehyde (R/F) solution as aqueous phase, an O/W emulsion was obtained. This emulsion phase inverted to a W/O HIPE induced by ammonia which served as the polymerization catalyst. Carbon microspheres (CMs) were prepared by polymerization of the HIPE, followed by drying and carbonization. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analyzer were used to characterize as-prepared CMs. The results indicate that, in case of 0.25 wt% ammonia of the HIPE, the diameters of CMs decreased from about 2 to 1 μm when the mass fraction of aqueous R/F decreased from 0.714 to 0.357; the apparent density and the specific surface areas of the CMs, however, did not change obviously, which are about 0.6 g/cm3and 200 m2/g, respectively. The dosage of ammonia has a significant influence on the morphology and properties of CMs. With increasing of the ammonia mass to 1 wt% of the HIPE, the resultant carbon materials comprise not only CMs, but also some carbon sheets; the apparent density of which increased to 0.9 g/cm3and the specific surface areas of which decreased to below 100 m2/g. In addition, the other parameters for CMs preparation were also investigated. It was found that the proper conditions were controlling the temperature of 303-333 K and the oil/aqueous phase mass ratio of 2.5:7.


2011 ◽  
Vol 189-193 ◽  
pp. 612-617
Author(s):  
Hong Wei Xing ◽  
Yue Long ◽  
Xiu Li ◽  
Gao Liang Li ◽  
Yu Zhu Zhang ◽  
...  

A gas quenching process to deal with steel slag and its characteristics of the new technology was briefly introduced. The grinding characteristics, mineral phases of gas quenching steel slag and the potential economic benefits of using it as cement mixing material was studied by compared to heat-stew steel slag. The results indicated that the specific surface areas (S) and grinding times (t) of the gas quenching steel slag showed a first order exponential decay relationship. With the extension of time, the specific surface areas of heat-stew steel slag was tending to balance earlier than that of gas quenching steel slag; The energy consumption of gas quenching steel slag was much lower than that of heat-stew steel slag. Gas quenching steel slag was comprised of C2S, C3S, a certain amount of (Ca2(Al, Fe)2O5)and RO phase, but the content of RO phase was relatively low, which increased the grindability of the quenching steel slag, so that the grindability of gas quenching steel slag was much better than that of heat-stew steel slag. Gas quenching steel slag prepared for cement addictives would bring great economic benefits.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberto Köferstein

Highly crystalline CaTaO2N nanoparticles possessing large specific surface areas were investigated as photocatalysts for the decomposition of methyl orange. Two different Ca2Ta2O7 precursors were synthesized by classical solid state synthesis and a hydrothermal soft-chemistry approach, respectively. In both cases, nitridation was carried out by thermal ammonolysis. The obtained CaTaO2N samples were compared with respect to their optical, thermal and morphological properties as well as their photocatalytic activities. In particular, the influence of ammonolysis temperature on the photocatalytic properties was studied. Using hydrothermally synthesized Ca2Ta2O7, phase pure CaTaO2N was obtained already at a relatively low ammonolysis temperature of 860 °C. Morphological investigations show that the CaTaO2N samples from the hydrothermally synthesized precursor consist of single-crystalline particles of 45 to 70 nm diameter with high specific surface areas between 12 and 19 m2 g-1, depending on ammonolysis temperature. A considerable photocatalytic activity for methyl orange degredation was found for the nanoscaled CaTaO2N particles prepared at lower ammonolysis temperatures. Using CoOx as co-catalyst, a further strong enhancement of the methyl orange decomposition by a factor 5-10 was achieved.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (22) ◽  
pp. 7603
Author(s):  
Xiaoyan Zou ◽  
Xianqing Li ◽  
Jizhen Zhang ◽  
Huantong Li ◽  
Man Guo ◽  
...  

This study is predominantly about the differences in shale pore structure and the controlling factors of shale gas content between Lower Silurian and Lower Cambrian from the upper Yangtze plate, which are of great significance to the occurrence mechanism of shale gas. The field emission scanning electron microscopy combined with Particles (Pores) and Cracks Analysis System software, CO2/N2 adsorption and the high-pressure mercury injection porosimetry, and methane adsorption were used to investigate characteristics of overall shale pore structure and organic matter pore, heterogeneity and gas content of the Lower Paleozoic in southern Sichuan Basin and northern Guizhou province from the upper Yangtze plate. Results show that porosity and the development of organic matter pores of the Lower Silurian are better than that of the Lower Cambrian, and there are four main types of pore, including interparticle pore, intraparticle pore, organic matter pore and micro-fracture. The micropores of the Lower Cambrian shale provide major pore volume and specific surface areas. In the Lower Silurian shale, there are mesopores besides micropores. Fractal dimensions representing pore structure complexity and heterogeneity gradually increase with the increase in pore volume and specific surface areas. There is a significant positive linear relationship between total organic carbon content and micropores volume and specific surface areas of the Lower Paleozoic shale, and the correlation of the Lower Silurian is more obvious than that of the Lower Cambrian. The plane porosity of organic matter increases with the increase in total organic carbon when it is less than 5%. The plane porosity of organic matter pores is positively correlated with clay minerals content and negatively correlated with brittle minerals content. The adsorption gas content of Lower Silurian and Lower Cambrian shale are 1.51–3.86 m3/t (average, 2.31 m3/t) and 0.35–2.38 m3/t (average, 1.36 m3/t). Total organic carbon, clay minerals and porosity are the main controlling factors for the differences in shale gas content between Lower Cambrian and Lower Silurian from the upper Yangtze plate. Probability entropy and organic matter plane porosity of the Lower Silurian are higher than those of Lower Cambrian shale, but form factor and roundness is smaller.


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