Activated aluminum oxide (AAO) is an extremely porous, granular material created through activating aluminum hydroxide. Activated AAO is known for its exceptional absorbent qualities and has numerous applications across multiple fields of use.
Use as a desiccant, Alumina absorbs airborne moisture molecules and stores them within its pores, but this process is reversible: heating it will release all that water back into the atmosphere.
Water Purification
Due to its low density and high surface area, activated aluminum oxide is an efficient adsorbent for many environmental protection applications. As its chemicals can be recycled easily and reused at reduced overall costs, activated aluminum oxide is also resistant to thermal shock, abrasion and does not shrink, swell or soften when exposed to moisture.
Activated alumina desiccants are excellent at extracting moisture from organic liquids, helping protect pipes and equipment against damage due to hydrate formation. With such properties in mind, these material are well suited for dehydration of natural gas before transportation.
Water treatment is another key application of this material, such as fluoride and arsenic removal from drinking water supplies. Adsorption processes are facilitated by lattice discontinuities and localized areas with positive charges that attract specific anionic species that become adsorbed onto them.
The material can remove color and odor from water while also eliminating humic and fulvic acids from its source, and even trace amounts of lead through reverse osmosis.
On several online resources you can obtain information regarding the properties, production, and applications of activated alumina. The Alumina Association provides extensive coverage. In addition, US EPA website also contains useful environmental technologies information. Other helpful sources include “Handbook of Environmental Engineering” by B. A. Voycheck & A. R. Bowers as well as Purdue University Chemistry LibreTexts.
Air Purification
Active aluminum oxide has seen considerable traction in industrial settings for air purification purposes, thanks to its numerous beneficial properties including high porosity, crush resistance, physical and chemical stability and superior absorption capacities. As more industries require water for various processes, activated aluminum oxide is becoming a must have product.
As a desiccant, activated aluminum oxide acts as an effective desiccant, drawing moisture out of air, gases and specific liquids by trapping moisture molecules within its tiny passageways. Moisture damage is detrimental to industrial processes as corrosion and other malfunctions may result. Hengye Inc offers premium quality activated alumina elements designed to remove moisture in compressed air systems, natural gas dehydration processes as well as chemical manufacturing processes where components can become susceptible to moisture damage.
Activated alumina can also be utilized to remove fluoride and arsenic from drinking water supplies, providing safer, purer drinking water to its inhabitants. It works by soaking up these harmful chemicals through its pores, thus providing safer drinking water to people. Its porous structure and exceptional surface area make activated alumina granules perfect for purification applications that involve the removal of fluoride, arsenic, selenium and other impurities from drinking water – with repeated regeneration without losing its beneficial properties or surface area properties.
Catalyst Support
Activated aluminum oxide is an extremely versatile ingredient, acting as an adsorbent, desiccant and catalyst support material. With a surface area exceeding 200m2/g and highly porous properties that make up over 90% of its porous structure, activated alumina can serve as an efficient desiccant for liquids and gases while being an air/water purification catalyst. Furthermore, activated alumina has also proven useful as part of industrial production to facilitate various chemical reactions, such as sulfur recovery projects at oil refineries.
Activated aluminum oxide is highly durable in industrial production processes due to its resistance to thermal shock, abrasion and chemical attack – making it an invaluable product. This characteristic makes activated aluminum oxide an invaluable ingredient, particularly since they require high levels of mechanical strength and chemical inertness for safety and efficacy of products. Furthermore, its ability to withstand high temperatures and abrasion enhances durability further making this an excellent material to use in furnaces.
Catalyst supports are essential components of heterogeneous catalysis, as they have a significant influence on catalyst performance. A suitable carrier or support enables uniform dispersion of active catalyst particles while protecting it from deactivation or poisoning and improving heat transfer into the reaction system. Utilizing activated aluminum oxide as a catalyst support may reduce maintenance requirements while simultaneously optimizing energy efficiency and prolonging heterogeneous catalytic reactions.
Packaging
Activated aluminum oxide (AAO) desiccant is widely utilized for protecting products against moisture damage during shipping or manufacturing applications. AAO desiccants have proven invaluable in the food and pharmaceutical industries where packaging materials must remain free from mold, mildew, or other contaminants. With superior absorption abilities that enable drying air, dehumidifying gases or liquids and protecting electronics during manufacturing or transport processes.
Activated alumina has the advantage of being impregnated with chemicals to enhance its moisture-absorbency properties, typically in a rotary kiln after it has undergone activation. Once dried and packaged for use, gamma alumina desiccant is then ready for use.
Gamma alumina, as a granular material, features a vast surface area and dense network of pores with high absorption capacity that contribute to its resistance to thermal shock and abrasion as well as non-toxicity and chemical stability. Furthermore, activated alumina desiccants are non-toxic and chemically stable alternatives.
As opposed to silica gel, this material offers extended shelf life and can even be used in higher humidity environments compared to other bulk desiccants. With such advantages over other forms of bulk desiccants, manufacturers can achieve similar drying results while saving on costs compared to using silica gel desiccants alone. Furthermore, due to its superior physical and chemical stability it has become a preferred choice in various industrial applications.