The present invention relates to the field of solid materials for adsorption of lithium. In particular, the present invention relates to a novel method for preparing a crystallized and shaped solid material, preferably as extrudates, of formula LiX.sub.x.2Al(OH).sub.3, nH.sub.2O with n being comprised between 0.01 and 10, x being equal to 1 when X is an anion selected from among chloride, hydroxide and nitrate anions, and x being equal to 0.5 when X is an anion selected from among sulfate and carbonate anions, comprising a step a) for precipitation of boehmite under specific temperature and pH conditions, at least one shaping step, preferably by extrusion, said method also comprising a final hydrothermal treatment step, the whole giving the possibility of increasing the adsorption capacity for lithium as well as the adsorption kinetics of the materials obtained as compared with the materials of the prior art when the latter is used in a method for extracting the lithium from saline solutions.

The present invention describes a process for hydrocracking at least one hydrocarbon feed in which at least 50% by weight of the compounds have an initial boiling point of more than 300 C. and a final boiling point of less than 540 C. using at least one catalyst comprising at least one metal from group VIB and/or at least one metal from group VIII of the periodic classification of the elements and a support comprising at least one zeolite containing at least one series of channels the opening of which is defined by a ring containing 12 oxygen atoms (12MR), and at least one binder, said support being prepared from a highly dispersible alumina gel, said hydrocracking process being operated at a temperature in the range 200 C. to 480 C., at a total pressure in the range 1 MPa to 25 MPa, with a ratio of the volume of hydrogen to the volume of hydrocarbon feed in the range 80 to 5000 litres per litre and with an hourly space velocity (HSV), defined as the ratio of the volume flow rate of liquid hydrocarbon feed to the volume of catalyst charged into the reactor, in the range 0.1 to 50 h.sup.1.

A process for producing alumina, the process having a seeding phase and a precipitation phase. During the seeding phase a seed mixture is produced by adding an aluminium salt to an aqueous solution and then adding an alkaline metal aluminate to the mixture while maintaining the seed mixture at generally neutral pH. The precipitation phase produces precipitated alumina by simultaneously adding aluminium salt and alkaline metal aluminate to the seed mixture while maintaining a pH from 6.9 to 7.8. The recovered precipitated alumina has at least one, preferably all the following characteristics: i) a crystallite size of 33-42 Ang.: in the (120) diagonal plane (using XRD); ii) a crystallite d-spacing (020) of between 6.30-6.59 Ang.; iii) a high porosity with an average pore diameter of 115-166 Ang.; iv) a relatively low bulk density of 250-350 kg/m.sup.3; v) a surface area after calcination for 24 hours at 1100 C. of 60-80 m.sup.2/g; and vi) a pore volume after calcination for one hour at 1000 C. 0.8-1.1 m.sup.3/g.

There is described a hydroprocessing process of at least one gas oil cut having a weighted mean temperature (TMP) between 240 C. and 350 C. using a catalyst comprising at least one metal of the group VIB and/or at least one metal of the group VIII of the periodic classification and a support comprising an amorphous mesoporous alumina having a connectivity (Z) greater than 2.7, the hydroprocessing process operating at a temperature between 250 C. and 400 C., at a total pressure between 2 MPa and 10 MPa with a ratio of hydrogen volume to volume of hydrocarbon-containing feedstock between 100 and 800 litres per litre and at an Hourly Volume Rate (HVR) which is defined by the ratio of the volume flow rate of liquid hydrocarbon-containing feedstock to volume of catalyst fed into the reactor between 1 and 10 h.sup.1.

A method of making an alumina including providing an alumina slurry, aging the slurry, adding a tricarboxylic acid to the aged alumina slurry, further aging the slurry, and spray drying, the method being characterized by the addition of a dicarboxylic acid either at the same time as the tricarboxylic acid, or after the second aging and before the spray drying. The resulting alumina is dispersible at a pH greater than 9.5 above 95% and has a viscosity below 0.4 Pa.Math.S for 10 wt % sols.

A dual channel showerhead comprising a first plurality of channels formed in the back surface of the showerhead and extending from a first end to a second end, a second plurality of channels formed through the thickness of the showerhead and extending from a first end to a second end, a first end plenum in fluid connection with the second plurality of channels at the first end and a second end plenum in fluid connection with the second plurality of channels at the second end. Processing chambers including the dual channel showerhead and a blocker ring separating the edge ring from the pumping ring are also discussed.

A method of making an alumina including providing an alumina slurry, aging the slurry, adding a tricarboxylic acid to the aged alumina slurry, further aging the slurry, and spray drying, the method being characterized by the addition of a dicarboxylic acid either at the same time as the tricarboxylic acid, or after the second aging and before the spray drying. The resulting alumina is dispersible at a pH greater than 9.5 above 95% and has a viscosity below 0.4 Pa.Math.S for 10 wt % sols.

A method of making an alumina including providing an alumina slurry, aging the slurry, adding a tricarboxylic acid to the aged alumina slurry, further aging the slurry, and spray drying, the method being characterized by the addition of a dicarboxylic acid either at the same time as the tricarboxylic acid, or after the second aging and before the spray drying. The resulting alumina is dispersible at a pH greater than 9.5 above 95% and has a viscosity below 0.4 Pa.Math.S for 10 wt % sols.

The present invention relates to the field of solid materials for the adsorption of lithium. In particular, the present invention relates to a new method for the preparation of a crystallized and shaped solid material, preferably in extruded form, of the formula (LiCl).sub.x.2Al(OH).sub.3,nH.sub.2O, wherein n is between 0.01 and 10, x is between 0.4 and 1, wherein it comprises a step a) of precipitation of boehmite under specific temperature and pH conditions, a step of bringing into contact the precipitate obtained with LiCl, at least one acid extrusion-kneading shaping step, wherein the method also comprises a final hydrothermal treatment step, all of which makes it possible to increase the lithium adsorption capacity, the adsorption kinetics, as well as the lithium/boron selectivity of the materials obtained with respect to the materials of the prior art, when it is used in a lithium extraction method of saline solutions.

A method of making an alumina including providing an alumina slurry, aging the slurry, adding a tricarboxylic acid to the aged alumina slurry, further aging the slurry, and spray drying, the method being characterized by the addition of a dicarboxylic acid either at the same time as the tricarboxylic acid, or after the second aging and before the spray drying. The resulting alumina is dispersible at a pH greater than 9.5 above 95% and has a viscosity below 0.4 Pa.Math.S for 10 wt % sols.