Copper aluminum borate

Crystalline copper aluminum borate having the significant x-ray diffraction lines set forth in Table A, a surface area of at least 5 square meters per gram and a pore volume of at least 0.04 cc per gram, which is at least partially reducible with hydrogen under Temperature Programmed Reduction at a temperature no more than 350.degree. C. to a composition comprising zero valent copper and Al.sub.4 B.sub.2 O.sub.9 wherein said copper aluminum borate has the structure Cu.sub.2-x AlB.sub.4 O.sub.17 M.sub.x wherein m is a divalent metal selected from the group consisting of zinc, cobalt, nickel and magnesium and X is a number ranging from 0.01 to 0.8.

The process of preparing copper aluminum borate which comprises (1) combining a source of divalent copper, trivalent aluminum and boron in the form of the oxide or borate, (2) drying the composition and (3) calcining the composition at a temperature sufficiently high to form a crystalline copper aluminum borate having the significant x-ray diffraction lines set forth in Table A wherein the composition of step (1) comprises at least one volatile component.

The process of producing copper aluminum borate which comprises (1) combining a source of divalent copper, trivalent aluminum and boron in the form of the oxide or borate in an aqueous medium, (2) drying the composition to remove water and (3) calcining the composition at a temperature sufficiently high to form crystalline copper aluminum borate having the significant x-ray diffraction lines set forth in Table A.