Integrated Study of the Calcination Cycle from Gibbsite to Corundum

• Published in: Chemistry of materials Vol. 19; no. 11; pp. 2877 - 2883
• Main Authors: Hill, Matthew R, Bastow, Timothy J, Celotto, Steven, Hill, Anita J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: American Chemical Society 29.05.2007
• ISSN: 0897-4756; 1520-5002
• DOI: 10.1021/cm070078f

A comprehensive picture of the gibbsite (Al(OH)3) to corundum (α-Al2O3) calcination process has been developed by multi-technique characterization of an integrated sample set. In 100 °C calcination stages, 27Al nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), differential thermal analysis (DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and nitrogen sorption surface area measurements were employed to elucidate the structure and chemistry of these calcinates. In addition, positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) has been used to study the defective nature of these aluminas. By exploiting the complementarity of PALS, 27Al NMR, and N2 sorption, new links were established between particle morphology, local atomic coordination, and surface defect chemistry.