Spheroidal alumina particulates having bifold porosity and process for their preparation

Abstract

Spheroidal alumina particulates having bifold porosity are prepared by (i) intimately admixing, at a pH of less than about 7.5, (a) a sol of a member selected from the group consisting of ultrafine boehmite and pseudo-boehmite, said sol being devoid of amorphous alumina and the concentration by weight thereof, in content by weight of Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, being between 5 and 25%, with (b) from 30 to 95% by weight, based upon the total solids content of the admixture, of spheroidal alumina particulates essentially completely in at least one of the phases eta, gamma, delta and theta, such particulates having a micropore volume ranging from about 0.4 to 1 cm.sup.3 /g, a specific surface ranging from about 100 to 350 m.sup.2 /g, and particle diameters ranging from about 1 to 50 microns; (ii) prilling said intimate admixture into spheroidal particulates and gelling the same; and then, (iii) recovering, drying and calcining said gelled particulates at a temperature of from 550.degree. to 1100.degree. C. The resultant particulates having bifold porosity are useful as catalysts or catalyst supports.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.