Activated alumina is a porous material made of aluminium oxide with a large surface area, making it suitable as both desiccant material and filter for chemicals such as fluoride and arsenic in drinking water.
F-200 is an FCC grade activated alumina designed to dry air and other gases by pressure or temperature swing adsorption, and with superior water-absorbency than silica gel as well as superior structural strength.
It is a polar adsorbent
Activated alumina is a porous material capable of absorbing multiple molecules. As its high surface area and porosity makes it an effective desiccant, Activated Alumina serves to desiccate liquids and gases as well as remove impurities such as fluoride and arsenic from streams. Constructed using aluminum oxide (Al2O3) that has been heated to form tunnel-like pores that hold onto multiple molecules simultaneously.
Activated alumina’s water absorption capacity depends on conditions and application type. Generally speaking, however, its capacity typically adsorbs less water than silica gel or molecular sieve and its performance can also be affected by competing molecules in the stream.
Heat treatment or the addition of chemicals like sodium carbonate can increase its water adsorption capacity. When activated alumina is treated correctly, its water-adsorption ability can reach 20-25% of its weight depending on pore size, stream conditions and humidity conditions.
BASF’s F-200 Spherical Activated Alumina is an industry-leading solution for drying liquids and gases, featuring a comprehensive selection of bead sizes to meet various drying needs. Its uniform bead size helps eliminate segregation during pneumatic loading/channeling for faster tower use; furthermore it boasts superior crush strength resistance against amine attack – key factors when working under extreme conditions.
It is a non-polar adsorbent
Activated alumina is a porous material that has been modified to reduce its crystalline structure, producing an adsorbent with high specific surface area, chemical inertness and mechanical strength. As a result, this adsorbent has many applications such as desulfurizing petroleum gas or defluorinating drinking water as well as adsorbing heavy metals such as lead or arsenic; additionally it can also be used in moving-bed chromatographic columns.
Activated alumina desiccants are widely utilized industrial processes to remove moisture from gases and liquids. Alumina stands out among other desiccants due to its ability to reach very low dew points while still possessing water adsorptive capacity for an extended period. Furthermore, this material’s durability means it has exceptional attrition resistance while maintaining high levels of water adsorption at elevated temperatures.
Heat treatment of activated alumina controls its pore size; during heating, alumina hydrate crystals rupture along their planes of weakness and form well-defined pores with diameters between 2-5nm. Adsorption behavior for activated alumina is complex and affected by its size, morphology, presence of impurities on particle surfaces as well as chemical reaction reactions affecting its properties; further modification can occur via chemical processes that alter them further.
Adsorption characteristics of activated alumina depend on the nature of molecules that come into contact with it, with polar molecules adhering more strongly than non-polar ones; while non-polar compounds, such as phenol and methanol, tend to adsorb less quickly than hydrocarbons.
It is a hydrocarbon adsorbent
Activated alumina is an outstanding hydrocarbon adsorbent and also boasts impressive arsenic, fluoride, and phosphate absorption capacities. Their selective absorption depends on pH values; with lower values yielding better results. Sulfate anions or chloride anions can decrease capacity significantly and influence its use accordingly; additionally their absorption by activated alumina depends on concentrations of anions in solution.
Activated alumina’s porous structure is created through controlled heating of alumina hydrate, which dehydrates it by expelling water molecules from its crystal lattice and releases them as vapour. This process produces porous structures with well-defined pore size distribution and large surface areas compared with silica gel which has low moisture adsorption capacities; activated alumina has greater water adsorption capacities than molecular sieves but cannot match them for selectivity.
Activated alumina can be an efficient desiccant for air and gas drying at temperatures from -40 to -100 degrees, as well as for drying of kerosene, aromatic compounds, and essences. Furthermore, its low abrasion/dusting properties help minimize pressure drop in towers, minimize down-stream valve and filter plugging incidents, extend service life – making it an excellent alternative to granular silica gel in high humidity applications.
It is a metal adsorbent
F200 Activated Alumina desiccants are aluminum oxide desiccants with high crush strength, available in multiple sizes and boasting an outstanding surface area to mass ratio. Used for drying liquids and gases such as compressed air, activated alumina desiccants can reach dew points as low as -40F (-40C) depending on operating conditions and design of dryer. Adsorption occurs on activated alumina but only molecules of high polarity will adsorb preferentially onto it – furthermore it’s highly resistant to chemical attacks as well as being heat treated without harm to its absorption capacity being lost over time.
Alumina beads with their spherical shapes provide uniform distribution, helping reduce channeling during pneumatic loading of towers. Their uniform size also facilitates faster adsorption rates and higher dynamic adsorption capacities; their high crush strength withstands any required pressure drops during high-pressure gas dehydration processes.
Comparative to silica gel, alumina is less susceptible to attrition and retains its adsorption capacity at elevated temperatures, resisting amine attack while being suitable for acid-containing gas dehydration applications. Furthermore, its affinity for water and hydroxyl groups makes it effective at dehydrating compressed air along with other gases such as helium, nitrogen, hydrogen, argon as well as drying kerosene and aromatic compounds.