Preparation of nanogama alumina from Iraqi kaolin

الملخص EN

The work reports a procedure for the synthesis of γ-alumina from the Iraqi kaolin.

Kaolin was transformed to metakaolin by calcination at 750 °C for 45 minute.

γ-alumina powder was synthesized through extracting alumina from metakaolin via H2SO4 treatment and precipitation by ethanol, which produces aluminum sulfate of 99% purity.

The precipitated aluminum sulfate was dried and calcined at 800, 850, 900 and 1000 °C to study the thermal decomposition of aluminum sulfate.

The crystallinity and phase of the synthesized for the assignment of calcined samples was characterized by X-ray diffraction measurements, paving the temperature at which the aluminum sulfate is converted to γ-alumina nano particles.

Pure alumina nanoparticle 98.81% was prepared by calcination of aluminum sulfate at 1000 °C for 2 hour.

The specific surface area, pore volume and pore size for γ-alumina nano particles were determined by BET measurement i.e.

117 m2/gm, 1.1 cm3/g and 337.6 Å respectively.

The size of the particles obtained were also calculated from BET analysis to be around 13 nm.

The study revealed that the kaolin could be a promising material for the preparation of γ-alumina.