An amorphous mesoporous alumina with a median mesopore diameter by volume of 16 nm or more, a mesopore volume of 0.5 mL/g or more, and a total pore volume of more than 0.75 mL/g. A process for preparing said alumina, comprising: a) precipitating a basic precursor and an acidic precursor, at least one of which comprises aluminum, at a pH of 8.5 to 10.5, a temperature of 20 C. to 90 C. and for 2 minutes to 30 minutes, with a state of advance of 5% to 13%; b) heating the suspension; c) a second precipitating by adding another basic precursor and acidic precursor, at least one of which comprises aluminum, at a pH of 8.5 to 10.5, a temperature of 40 C. to 90 C. and for 2 to 50 minutes, with a state of advance of 87% to 95%; d) filtration; e) drying; f) shaping; g) heat treatment.

An amorphous mesoporous alumina with a median mesopore diameter by volume of 16 nm or more, a mesopore volume of 0.5 mL/g or more, and a total pore volume of more than 0.75 mL/g. A process for preparing said alumina, comprising: a) precipitating a basic precursor and an acidic precursor, at least one of which comprises aluminum, at a pH of 8.5 to 10.5, a temperature of 20 C. to 90 C. and for 2 minutes to 30 minutes, with a state of advance of 5% to 13%; b) heating the suspension; c) a second precipitating by adding another basic precursor and acidic precursor, at least one of which comprises aluminum, at a pH of 8.5 to 10.5, a temperature of 40 C. to 90 C. and for 2 to 50 minutes, with a state of advance of 87% to 95%; d) filtration; e) drying; f) shaping; g) heat treatment.

A process of making a dense, cohesive and uniform aluminum oxide coating on a metallic substrate includes electrodepositing polynuclear aluminum oxide hydroxide clusters from a polynuclear aluminum oxide hydroxide cluster solution on a metallic substrate to form a precursor coating, and post-treating the precursor coating to form a final aluminum oxide coating on the metallic substrate.

A process of making a dense, cohesive and uniform aluminum oxide coating on a metallic substrate includes electrodepositing polynuclear aluminum oxide hydroxide clusters from a polynuclear aluminum oxide hydroxide cluster solution on a metallic substrate to form a precursor coating, and post-treating the precursor coating to form a final aluminum oxide coating on the metallic substrate.

A method for production of phosphate compounds comprises dissolving of a raw material comprising phosphorus, aluminium and iron, in a mineral acid. Insoluble residues from the dissolving step are separated. Iron hydroxide is added causing precipitation of phosphate compounds. The precipitated phosphate compounds are removed. The phosphate compounds are dissolved by an alkaline solution. Iron hydroxide is filtered out. Lime is added, causing precipitation of calcium phosphate. The precipitated calcium phosphate is separated. The leach solution after the separating of precipitated calcium phosphate is recycled to be used for dissolving phosphate compounds by an alkaline solution.

A method for production of phosphate compounds comprises dissolving of a raw material comprising phosphorus, aluminium and iron, in a mineral acid. Insoluble residues from the dissolving step are separated. Iron hydroxide is added causing precipitation of phosphate compounds. The precipitated phosphate compounds are removed. The phosphate compounds are dissolved by an alkaline solution. Iron hydroxide is filtered out. Lime is added, causing precipitation of calcium phosphate. The precipitated calcium phosphate is separated. The leach solution after the separating of precipitated calcium phosphate is recycled to be used for dissolving phosphate compounds by an alkaline solution.

An improved beta(?)-spodumene (?LiAlSi.sub.2O.sub.6) nitric acid conversion process produces discrete lithium (Li), aluminum (Al) and silica (SiO.sub.2) materials by: (i) converting lithium nitrate, LiNO.sub.3, to lithium carbonate, Li.sub.2CO.sub.3; (ii) creating a Al-rich precipitate either by thermally decomposing aluminum nitrate, Al(NO.sub.3).sub.3, or by reacting Al(NO.sub.3).sub.3 with aqueous and/or solid ammonium carbonate, (NH.sub.4).sub.2CO.sub.3; and (iii) forming a solid SiO.sub.2-rich aluminosilicate residue by selectively leaching Li and Al from ?-spodumene. Three key reactants consumed during processingnitric acid (HNO.sub.3), ammonia (NH.sub.3), and magnesium oxide (MgO)may be regenerated internally by closed-loop chemical cycles, this feature of the process greatly improving its economics in commercial applications.

The present disclosure relates to an alumina having a surface area in the range of 330-400 m.sup.2/g, a pore volume in the range of 1.2-1.7 cc/g, and an average pore diameter in the range of 125-160 . The present disclosure also relates to alumina extrudates having a diameter in the range of 1 mm to 3 mm, a surface area in the range of 300-360 m.sup.2/g, a pore volume in the range of 0.8-1.3 cc/g and pore diameter in the range of 90-130 with a crushing strength in the range of 1-2.5 daN/mm. Further, the present disclosure relates to a process for the preparation of alumina and alumina extrudates. The alumina extrudates can be used as a support for catalyst preparation or as a catalyst or adsorbent in various processes. The process of the present disclosure enhances metal loading capacity, has better metal dispersion, and exhibit delay in deactivation of the catalyst due to mouth pore plugging.

Disclosed are a supported catalyst, its method of preparation and use in hydrogenation methods, which catalyst contains an oxide substrate that is for the most part calcined aluminum and an active phase that contains nickel, with the nickel content between 5 and 65% by weight in relation to the total mass of the catalyst, with the active phase not containing a metal from group VIB, the nickel particles having a diameter that is less than or equal to 20 nm, the catalyst having a median mesopore diameter of between 14 nm and 30 nm, a median macropore diameter of between 50 and 200 nm, a mesopore volume that is measured by mercury porosimetry that is greater than or equal to 0.40 mL/g, and a total pore volume that is measured by mercury porosimetry that is greater than or equal to 0.42 mL/g.

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.