Influence of Alumina Preparation Method on the Specific Features of Its Local Structure

• Published in: Theoretical and experimental chemistry Vol. 56; no. 6; pp. 417 - 423
• Main Authors: Moroz, E. M., Shefer, K. I.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 2021; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aluminum oxide; Analysis; Bayer process; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Chemistry/Food Science; Diffraction patterns; Distribution functions; Fine structure; Gas flow; Gibbsite; Hydroxides; Metal plates; Methods; Powders; Spinel group; X-ray scattering; X-ray diffraction; X-ray scattering; alumina; atomic pair distribution function; aluminum hydroxide; structure
• ISSN: 0040-5760; 1573-935X
• DOI: 10.1007/s11237-021-09671-9

It is shown that analysis of X-ray scattering using the atomic pair distribution function makes it possible to reveal the differences in the fine structure of alumina samples, which have similar powder diffraction patterns. Such differences consist in different populations of tetrahedral and octahedral sites in the spinel structure of alumina or the existence of nuclei of a certain phase. The approach applied made it possible to explain the formation of different phases, baerite and pseudoboehmite, upon the rehydration of alumina obtained from gibbsite by thermal activation on a rotating metal plate or in a hot gas flow, respectively.