Combined Promoting Effects of Specific Organic Functional Groups and Alumina Surface Characteristics for the Design of a Highly Efficient NiMo/Al_(2)O_(3) Hydrodesulfurization Catalyst

To prepare a highly efficient NiMo/Al_(2)O_(3) hydrodesulfurization catalyst,the combined effects of specific organic functional groups and alumina surface characteristics were investigated.First,the correlation between the surface characteristics of four different alumina and the existing Mo species states was established.It was found that the Mo equilibrium adsorption capacity can be used as a specific descriptor to quantitatively evaluate the changes in surface characteristics of different alumina.A lower Mo equilibrium adsorption capacity for alumina means weaker metal-support interaction and the loaded Mo species are easier to transform into MoS2.However,the Mo-O-Al bonds still exist at the metal-support interface.The introduction of cationic surfactant hecadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide(CTAB)can further improve Mo species dispersion through electrostatic attraction with Mo anions and interaction of its alkyl chain with the alumina surface;meanwhile,the introduction of ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid(EDTA)can complex with Ni ions to enhance the Ni-promoting effect on Mo.Therefore,the NiMo catalyst designed using alumina with lower Mo equilibrium adsorption capacity and the simultaneous addition of EDTA and CTAB exhibits the highest hydrodesulfurization activity for 4,6-dimethyl dibenzothiophene because of its proper metal-support interaction and more well-dispersed Ni-Mo-S active phases.

Nano-alumina@cellulose-coated separators with the reinforcedconcrete-like structure for high-safety lithium-ion batteries

Separators play a critical role in the safety and performance of lithium-ion batteries.However,commercial polyolefin separators are limited by their poor affinity with electrolytes and low melting points.In this work,we constructed a reinforced-concrete-like structure by homogeneously dispersing nano-Al_(2)O_(3) and cellulose on the separators to improve their stability and performance.In this reinforcedconcrete-like structure,the cellulose is a reinforcing mesh,and the nano-Al_(2)O_(3) acts as concrete to support the separator.After constructing the reinforced-concrete-like structure,the separators exhibit good stability even at 200℃(thermal shrinkage of 0.3%),enhanced tensile strain(tensile stress of 133.4 MPa and tensile strains of 62%),and better electrolyte wettability(a contact angle of 6.5°).Combining these advantages,the cells with nano-Al_(2)O_(3)@cellulose-coated separators exhibit stable cycling performance and good rate performance.Therefore,the construction of the reinforced-concretelike structure is a promising technology to promote the application of lithium-ion batteries in extreme environments.

Formation mechanism of nanopores in dense films of anodic alumina

Constant-current anodization of pure aluminum was carried out in non-corrosive capacitor working electrolytes to study the formation mechanism of nanopores in the anodic oxide films.Through comparative experiments,nanopores are found in the anodic films formed in the electrolytes after high-temperature storage(HTS)at 130°C for 240 h.A comparison of the voltage-time curves suggests that the formation of nanopores results from the decrease in formation efficiency of anodic oxide films rather than the corrosion of the electrolytes.FT-IR and UV spectra analysis shows that carboxylate and ethylene glycol in electrolytes can easily react by esterification at high temperatures.Combining the electronic current theory and oxygen bubble mold effect,the change in electrolyte composition could increase the electronic current in the anodizing process.The electronic current decreases the formation efficiency of anodic oxide films,and oxygen bubbles accompanying electronic current lead to the formation of nanopores in the dense films.The continuous electronic current and oxygen bubbles are the prerequisites for the formation of porous anodic oxides rather than the traditional field-assisted dissolution model.

Effect of Slag Basicity on Alumina Dissolution and Diffusivity:A High-temperature Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy Study

Alumina is one of the crucial and extensively utilized refractory components.As the refractory wear due to dissolution at elevated temperatures during operation is a major threat to refractory lifespan,quantifying dissolution is important for developing cost-effective and resource-efficient refractories.This study investigated the dissolution of alumina particles in two silicate and one calcium aluminate slags at 1450,1500,and 1550°C using high-temperature confocal laser scanning microscopy(HT-CLSM).Dissolution was quantified in terms of diffusivity,with all influencing factors,including Stefan flow and bath movement,incorporated into the determination process.The trends observed in total dissolution time and diffusivity in three slags at three experimental temperatures could not be explained solely on the basis of slag basicity.Two parameters,considering the influencing factors,were introduced to explain these trends.Furthermore,the linear trend observed in Arrhenius plots of diffusivities supports the diffusivity results.Additionally,good agreement between the diffusivities of alumina in one silicate slag obtained via CLSM and rotating finger test investigations verified the reliability of the results.

Effects of Different Raw Materials and Additions on Wave Transparency of Alumina Fiber Products

Fiber products for microwave kilns were prepared using alumina fibers with alumina contents of 72 mass%and 80 mass%,and calcined alumina powder(4-6μm)as the main raw materials,silica sol as the binder,and cationic starch as the flocculant.Effects of different raw materials and their additions on the wave transparency of fiber products were researched.The results show that as the alumina fiber(72%)addition increases,the heating rate of the samples first decreases and then increases,and the corresponding wave transparency of the sample first increases and then decreases.When the alumina fibers addition is 40 mass%and the alumina powder addition is 30 mass%,the prepared microwave kiln lining material has a higher mullite content,which improves the wave transparency of the sample.The sample prepared from alumina fibers with an alumina content of 80%has a suitable glass-mullite phase ratio,performs lower overall dielectric constant and good wave transparency,and is a suitable lining material for microwave kilns.

Aluminum and Activated Alumina Powder Additions on Microwave Synthesis of Al_(4)SiC_(4)

Aiming at improving the properties of magnesia carbon materials,silicon aluminum carbide(Al_(4)SiC_(4))containing materials were prepared using industrial aluminum powder,silicon carbide powder,and graphite as raw materials,and activated alumina powder as an additive,mixing thoroughly,pressing into cylinders and then firing at 1200℃for 30 min in a carbon embedded atmosphere by the microwave method.The effects of the aluminum powder addition(20%and 24%,by mass)and activated alumina powder addition(0,3%,5%and 7%,by mass)on the microwave synthesis of Al_(4)SiC_(4) as well as the effect of the obtained Al_(4)SiC_(4) containing material on the properties of magnesia carbon bricks were studied.The results show that:compared with the samples with 20%aluminum powder,those with 24%aluminum powder generate more Al_(4)SiC_(4).With the activated alumina powder addition increasing from 0 to 7%,the amount of Al_(4)SiC_(4) generated increases first and then decreases.Compared with the sample without activated alumina powder,the samples with activated alumina powder show lower bulk density and higher apparent porosity.With the activated alumina powder addition increasing from 3%to 7%,the bulk density of the samples increases first and then decreases,while the apparent porosity of the samples shows an opposite trend.The optimal additions are 24%aluminum powder and 5%activated alumina powder,and Al_(4)SiC_(4) synthesized in this sample has a hexagonal plate structure.With the synthesized Al_(4)SiC_(4) containing material added,the magnesia carbon brick has slightly increased cold modulus of rupture,basically the same modulus of elasticity and improved oxidation resistance.

Measurement of alumina film induced ablation of internal insulator in solid rocket environment

This study investigates the ablation of internal insulation induced by the deposition of an alumina film with different lateral film speeds.A sub-scale test solid rocket motor(SRM)was designed in an impinging jet configuration to form an alumina film on the sample and to encourage the lateral movement of the film by a high-speed wall jet.Fifteen static fire tests of the test SRM were conducted with six different jet velocities(V_(jet)=100 m/s,150 m/s,200 m/s,268 m/s,330 m/s,and 450 m/s)that indirectly affected the velocity of the wall jet and the deposition rate of alumina droplets.The ablation velocity was deduced from the difference in the sample thickness after a test using a coordinate measuring machine.The droplet deposition mass flux and wall jet velocity were obtained via two-phase flow simulation with the same jet velocity and effective pressure.As a result,the characteristics of alumina-induced ablation and the changes in ablation with jet velocities were obtained.The area within0.8×jet diameter was focused upon,where the ratio of ablation velocity to incoming alumina mass was constant for each jet velocity,and showed a similarity in jet structure.When the ablation velocity was increased from 2.05 to 9.98 mm/s with increasing jet velocity,the ratio of the ablation velocity and alumina mass flux decreased from 1.07×10^(-4)to 0.49×10^(-4)m^(3)/kg as Al_(2)O_(3)-C reactions became less efficient with a reduced residence time of the film.Because the decrease in residence time by the wall jet is more pronounced for slow reactions involved in Al_(2)O_(3)-C reactions,fast reactions in Al_(2)O_(3)-C reactions are less affected and result in a convergence of the volumetric rate of ablation per unit mass of alumina.

Piezoresistive behavior of elastomer composites with segregated network of carbon nanostructures and alumina

Electrically conductive elastomer composites(CECs)with segregated networks of conductive nanofillers show high potential in stretchable strain sensors due to balanced mechanical and electrical properties,yet the sensitivity at low strain is generally insufficient for practical application.Herein,we report an easy and effective way to improve the resistive response to low strain for CECs with segregated network structure via adding stiff alumina into carbon nanostructures(CNS).The CEC containing 0.7 wt%CNS and 5 wt%Al_(2)O_(3) almost sustains the same elasticity(elongation at break of~900%)and conductivity(0.8 S/m)as the control,while the piezoresistive sensitivity is significantly improved.Thermoplastic polyurethane(TPU)composites with a segregated network of hybrid nanofillers(CNS and Al_(2)O_(3))show much higher strain sensitivity(Gauge factor,GF-566)at low strain(45%strain)due to a local stress concentration effect,this sensitivity is superior to that of TPU/CNS composites(GF-11).Such a local stress concentration effect depends on alumina content and its distribution at the TPU particle interface.In addition,CECs with hybrid fillers show better reproducibility in cyclic piezoresistive behavior testing than the control.This work offers an easy method for fabricating CECs with a segregated filler network offering stretchable strain sensors with a high strain sensitivity.

Analysis of the Performances of a New Type of Alumina Nanocomposite Structural Material Designed for the Thermal Insulation of High-Rise Buildings

The sol-gel method is used to prepare a new nano-alumina aerogel structure and the thermal properties of this nanomaterial are investigated comprehensively using electron microscope scanning,thermal analysis,X-ray and infrared spectrometer analysis methods.It is found that the composite aerogel alumina material has a multi-level porous nano-network structure.When employed for the thermal insulation of high-rise buildings,the alumina nanocomposite aerogel material can lead to effective energy savings in winter.However,it has almost no energy-saving effect on buildings where energy is consumed for cooling in summer.

Influence of Firing Temperature on Properties of High Alumina Bricks

To reduce production costs and make full and reasonable use of raw materials,high alumina bricks were prepared using tabular corundum and mullite as aggregates,sillimanite as intermediate particles,and white fused corundum powder,α-alumina micropowder,and Suzhou soil as the matrix,firing at different temperatures(1420,1440,1460,1480,1500 and 1520℃)for 4 h.The apparent porosity(AP),the bulk density(BD),the cold crushing strength(CCS),the thermal shock resistance(TSR),the refractoriness under load(RUL)and the creep rate of the samples were tested.The effects of the firing temperature on the creep rate(1450℃×50 h,under a load of 0.2 MPa)of the samples were studied.The results show that with the sillimanite addition of 22.5 mass%,the sample fired at 1460℃for 4 h performs the best comprehensive properties:the AP of 17.5%,the BD of 2.75 g·cm^(-3),the CCS of 100.5 MPa,the TSR number of 35 cycles,the RUL of 1682℃,and the creep rate of-0.428%,which can prolong the service life of furnaces.

Analysis of Corrosion Mechanisms of Low-cement or No-cement Al_(2)O_(3)-MgO Gunning Mix with Special Calcined Alumina in Rotary Slag Test

Al_(2)O_(3)-MgO and Al_(2)O_(3)-spinel low cement castables(LCC-AM and LCC-AS)have been extensively used in steel ladles as working linings.Nevertheless,the use of alumina-magnesia gunning mixes has been mainly kept for maintaining these castable linings,because of high rebound loss,poor green strength,high porosity and short life-span.Thanks to a high BET alumina(MC-G),it is now possible to develop a series of high-performance no-cement or low-cement Al_(2)O_(3)-MgO gunning mixes(NCG-AM or LCG-AM).The paper focuses on the BOF slag resistance of NCG-AM,LCG-AM,LCC-AM and LCC-AS.The corrosion mechanisms of rotary slag samples were studied by scanning electron microscopy(SEM/EDS).The results reveal different microstructures around MgO particles,depending on the four used compositions.Continuous and thicker spinel phases were formed in NCG-AM,which was proved to have the best corrosion resistance after the dynamic slag test.MC-G can provide a high diffusion flux of Al^(3+)in terms of kinetics and hence inhibits Kirkendall porosity around MgO particles.In addition,a continuous spinel phase acts like a pinning nail to reinforce the matrix and thus decreases erosion by slag.In contrast to NCG-AM,the porous spinel phase was found around unreacted MgO particles and some particles were carried away near the interface of LCC-AM and slag.The NCG-AM containing MC-G had been tested in two steel plants,and it extended the service life of the ladles up to 50%.In addition,this study suggests the potential application of NCG-AM as steel ladle linings.

Effect of Na_2O on alumina leaching property and phase transformation of MgO-containing calcium aluminate slags

In order to remove or reduce the negative effect of MgO in calcium aluminate slags, the method of adding Na2O into calcium aluminate slags was studied and its effect on leaching mechanism was also analyzed. The results show that the alumina leaching efficiency of the calcium aluminate slag increases from 68.73% to 80.86% with Na2O content increasing from 0 to 4% when MgO content is 3%. The XRD results show that the quaternary compound C20A13M3S3 disappears when Na2O content increases to 4%. The addition of Na2O cannot remove the negative effect of MgO on leachability completely. XRD and EDS results indicate that Na2O can come into the lattice of 12CaO·7Al2O3 and promote the formation of 12CaO·7Al2O3

Secondary reaction mechanism of leaching process of calcium aluminate slag

SiO2 in calcium aluminate slag exists in the form of γ-2CaO·SiO2 which is more stable than β-2CaO·SiO2. However, it is decomposed by sodium carbonate solution during leaching process, leading to the secondary reaction. The extent of secondary reaction and reaction mechanism of calcium aluminate slag were studied using XRD. The results show that the decomposition rate of γ-2CaO·SiO2 increases with the increase in leaching time and sodium carbonate concentration. The main products of secondary reaction are the mixture of hydrogarnet and sodium hydrate alumina-silicate. SiO2 concentration rises firstly and then drops with the increase of leaching temperature. XRD results indicate that the stable product of secondary reaction at low temperature is hydrogarnet. But hydrogarnet is transformed into sodium hydrate alumina-silicate at high temperature.

Variation of soda content in fine alumina trihydrate by seeded precipitation

High soda content in fine alumina trihydrate（ATH） limits its application and increases the soda consumption. The variation of soda content in the fine ATH by seeded precipitation was determined by detection of electric conductivity of solution, soda content in ATH, measurement of particle size distribution and microscopic analysis. The results show that high concentration of sodium aluminate solution, ground circulative seed, low temperature or fast initial precipitation rate increases the soda content in ATH. Soda mainly exists in lattice soda and less soda in desilication product （DSP） exists in the fine ATH precipitated from sodium aluminate solution with concentration of Al2O3 （ρAl2O3） more than 160 g/L and mass ratio of alumina to silica （μSiO2） of 400, and lattice soda decreases with increasing initial precipitation temperature, aging seed, and low precipitation rate and precipitation time. Results also imply that -＋ 4）Na Al（OH ion-pair influences lattice soda content in ATH on the basis of electric conductivity variation.

Application Research of Dense Sintered Alumina in Iron Runner Castables

Three different kinds of corundum aggregates-tabular sintered alumina, dense sintered alumina, and fused dense corundum-were introduced into the silica fume .free or silica fume containing Al2O3 -SiC - C iron runner castables to investigate their influences on the flow ability, linear change on heating, bulk density, apparent porosity, cold strength, hot modulus of rupture, therm, al shock resistance, slag resistance, oxidation resistance as well as wear resistance of Al2O3 - SiC - C iron runner castables. The results show that （ 1 ） compared with the specimens with fused dense corundum, the specimens with dense sintered alumina have equivalent installation property, slag resistance and oxidation resistance, equivalent or even higher cold modulus of rupture, cold crushing strength and hot modulus of rupture, exhibiting better thermal shock resistance and cold wear resistance ; （2） adopting bimodal alumina micropowder LISAL22RABL as well as water reducers ZX2 and ZD2 can well reduce the water requirement of silica fume free castables, solving the problem of deteriorated flow ability resulted from the lack of silica fume; since the lack of silica fume avoids the formation of low melting point liquid, the hot modulus of rupture and the thermal shock resistance of the silica fume free castables are both better than those of the silica fume containing castables ; （3） the density of the castable specimens with dense sintered alumina is 4% -6% lower than that of the castable specimens with Jhsed dense corundum so the refractories consumption of one iron runner reduces by 5% by using the tastable with dense sintered alumina, which obviously reduces the cost of refractories.

Reaction behaviour of Al_2O_3 and SiO_2 in high alumina coal fly ash during alkali hydrothermal process

The reaction behaviours of A1203 and SiO2 in high alumina coal fly ash under various alkali hydrothermal conditions were studied. The means of XRD, XRF, FTIR and SEM were used to measure the mineral phase and morphology of the solid samples obtained by different alkali hydrothermal treatments as well as the leaching ratio of SiO2 to A1203 in alkali solution. The results showed that with the increase of the hydrothermal treating temperature from 75 to 160 ~C, phillipsite-Na, zeolite A, zeolite P, and hydroxysodalite were produced sequentially while the mullite and corundum phase still remained. Zeolite P was massively formed at low-alkali concentration and the hydroxysodalite was predominantly obtained at high-alkali concentration. By the dissolution of aluminosilicate glass and the formation of zeolites together, the leaching efficiency of SiO2 can reach 42.13% with the mass ratio of A1203/SIO2 up to 2.19：1.

Extraction of alumina from fly ash by ammonium hydrogen sulfate roasting technology

NH4HSO4 roasting technology was used for preparing Al2O3 from fly ash. First, Al and Fe were extracted from fly ash by NH4HSO4 roasting and deionized water leaching. Then, the Al and Fe in the leached liquid were precipitated by adding NH4HCO3 solution. After the mixed precipitations of Al（OH）3 and Fe（OH）3 were leached by NaOH solution, the NaAl（OH）4 solution was decomposed by carbonation. Finally, the pure Al（OH）3 was calcined to α-Al2O3. The optimal conditions of the whole technology were determined by experiments. The quality ofa-Al2O3 product is up to the technical indicator of YS/T 274-1998 standard.

Recovery of alumina from circulating fluidized bed combustion Al-rich fly ash using mild hydrochemical process

To utilize CFBC Al-rich fly ash, a mild hydrochemical extraction process was investigated for recovery of alumina. An alumina extraction efficiency of 92.31%was attained using a 45%NaOH solution, an original caustic ratio （molar ratio of Na2O to Al2O3 in the sodium aluminate solution） of 25, a molar ratio of CaO to SiO2 in the fly ash of 1.1, a liquid volume to solid mass ratio of 9, a reaction temperature of 280 ℃, and a residence time of 1 h when treating fly ash with an alumina to silica mass ratio （A/S） of 0.78 and an alumina content of 32.43%. Additionally, the alumina leaching mechanism was explored via structural and chemical analysis, which revealed that after alkaline digestion, the main solid phase containing silica was NaCaHSiO4 with a theoretical A/S of zero.

Effect of Alumina Micropowders on Properties of Calcium Hexaluminate

Calcium hexaluminate （ CA6 ） was synthesized by mixing light-weight calcium carbonate and Al2O3 mi- cropowder （calcined α-Al2O3, activated α-Al2O3 or α-Al2O3） according to the stoichimetric ratio of CA6, and reaction sintering at 1 200, 1 300, 1 400 and 1 500 ℃fin 3 h, respectiely. Efcts of the three alu- mina micropowders on the phase composition, micro- structure and properties of CA were investigated. The re- sults show that ： （ 1 ） for the three Al2O3 micropowders, the reaction to generate CA6 in specimens basically com- plete. at about 1 500 ℃ ; CA6 generated in all specimens is planar, bat the array modes are slightly different; （2） the specimel＇s prepared from, calcined α-Al2O3or ρ-Al2O3 shrink almost, while the specimens prepared from activated α-Al2O3 expand ; （ 3 ） the cold crushing strength of the specimen prepared from activated α-Al2O3 is the highest, reaching 42.5 MPa when only CA6 exists （ after firing at 1 500 ℃ ） ; （ 4 ） the specimen prepared from ρ-Al2O3 has the lowest generation temperature of CA6 and the highest apparent porosity, reaching 70. 1% when only CA exists （after firing at 1 500 ℃）; （5） the specimen prepared from calcined α-Al2O3 has the biggest bulk density.

Extraction of aluminum from alumina by disproportionation process of AlCl in vacuum

The extraction conditions of aluminum by the disproportionation process of A1C1 in vacuum were investigated using alumina and graphite as raw materials, including reaction temperature, pre-reaction and condenser structure. The results show that the extent of the reaction between alumina and carbon increases with increasing reaction temperature at 1643-1843 K; however, the extraction rate of aluminum increases firstly, and reaches the highest at 1743 K, and then decreases with rise in reaction temperature. The pre-reaction of alumina and carbon increases the extraction rate of aluminum. The impurities C, AlaC3 and A1203 in the aluminum product are reduced with reducing the contact surface of the aluminum with CO and with decreasing the condensation temperature, depending on the structure of the condenser.