Sol–Gel Approach for Design of Pt/Al2O3-TiO2 System—Synthesis and Catalytic Tests

Al2O3-TiO2 systems with Ti:Al 0.1, 0.5 and 1.0 molar ratio obtained by the sol–gel method have been used as a platinum support. As a precursor of alumina gel, aluminum isopropoxide has been chosen. Titanium tert-butoxylate was applied to obtain titania gel and hexachloroplatinic acid was applied as a source of platinum. The systems have been characterized by the following methods: thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), low-temperature nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms (BET, BJH), temperature-programmed reduction with hydrogen (TPR-H2) and hydrogen chemisorption. Reactions of toluene to methylcyclohexane and selective o-chloronitrobenzene (o-CNB) to o-chloroaniline (o-CAN) hydrogenation were used as the tests of systems’ catalytic activity. The application of Al2O3-TiO2 as a support has enabled the obtaining of platinum catalysts showing high activities for hydrogenation of toluene and selective hydrogenation of o-chloronitrobenzene to o-chloroaniline in the liquid phase. The highest activity in both reactions has been found for Pt/Al2O3-0.5TiO2 catalyst and the highest selectivity for Pt/Al2O3-. The activity of Pt/Al2O3-TiO2 catalysts was higher than that of alumina-supported ones.

Silica extraction from bauxite reaction residue and synthesis water glass

Bauxite reaction residue (BRR) produced from the poly-aluminum chloride (PAC) coagulant industry is a solid acidic waste that is harmful to environment. A low temperature synthesis route to convert the waste into water glass was reported. Silica dissolution process was systematically studied, including the thermodynamic analysis and the influence of calcium and aluminum on the leaching of amorphous silica. Simulation studies have shown that calcium and aluminum combine with silicon to form hydrated calcium silicate, silica–alumina gel, and zeolite, respectively, thereby hindering the leaching of silica. Maximizing the removal of calcium, aluminum, and chlorine can effectively improve the leaching of silicon in the subsequent process, and corresponding element removal rates are 42.81%, 44.15%, and 96.94%, respectively. The removed material is not randomly discarded and is reused to prepare PAC. The silica extraction rate reached 81.45% under optimal conditions (NaOH; 3 mol L−1, L S−1; 5/1, 75°C, 2 h), and sodium silicate modulus (nSiO2:nNa2O) is 1.11. The results indicated that a large amount of silica was existed in amorphous form. Precipitated silica was obtained by acidifying sodium silicate solution at optimal pH 7.0. Moreover, sodium silicate (1.11) further synthesizes sodium silicate (modulus 3.27) by adding precipitated silica at 75°C.

Fabrication of α-alumina by a combination of a hydrothermal process and a seeding technique

This paper describes a method for producing [Formula: see text]-Al2O3 at low temperatures by a combination of a hydrothermal process and a seeding technique. White aluminum hydroxide precipitate was prepared by a homogeneous precipitation method using aluminum nitrate and urea in aqueous solution. Peptization of the precipitate by acetic acid at room temperature transformed it into a transparent alumina sol. The alumina sol was treated with a hydrothermal process. [Formula: see text]-Al2O3 particles serving as seeds were added to the hydrothermally treated alumina sol. The sol containing the [Formula: see text]-Al2O3 particles was transformed into an [Formula: see text]-Al2O3-seeded alumina gel by drying at room temperature. The non-seeded alumina gel was amorphous or showed fine crystallites and began to crystallize into [Formula: see text]-Al2O3 at 900[Formula: see text]C. The [Formula: see text]-Al2O3-seeding promoted the crystallization of the alumina gel to [Formula: see text]-Al2O3. A remarkable [Formula: see text]-Al2O3 crystallinity was achieved with an increase in [Formula: see text]-Al2O3 particle content by weight in the final seeded alumina gel. For an [Formula: see text]-Al2O3 particle content of 5%, the seeded alumina gel was partially crystallized to [Formula: see text]-Al2O3 by annealing at temperatures as low as 600[Formula: see text]C.