Factors for maintenance of a high surface area of silica-coated α-alumina after heating >1573 K

Abstract

In order to maintain a high surface area after heating at > 1573 K, porous aluminas (TM-100 and ALO-4) were coated with a thin layer of silica. Without coating, both the aluminas were transformed completely to the α-phase at 1473 K. Coating TM-100 with 5.2 wt.% silica caused no change in the θ-phase at 1573 K, while almost complete transformation to α-alumina occurred for 2.7 wt.% silica. For 3.6 wt.% silica, both the θ- and α-phases coexisted at 1573 K. As a result of the incomplete phase transformation, the surface area of TM-100 was high, i.e. 46 and 37 m2 g–1 for 5.2 and 3.6 wt.% coating silica, respectively. After they had been heated at 1673 K, all silica-coated TM-100s were transformed to α-alumina and mullite was also formed for 3.6 and 5.2 wt.% coating silica. α-Phase TM-100 with 2.7 wt.% coating silica exhibited a surface area of 17 m2 g–1. However, a large amount of coating silica did not lead to the maintenance of a high surface area, probably owing to the formation of mullite. Electron micrographs revealed that, in accordance with a high surface area, silica coating markedly suppressed the crystal growth. Although similar effects of silica coating were also observed for ALO-4, these effects were less pronounced. On heating ALO-4 at 1573 K, the phase transformation was almost completed even for the large amount of coating silica, and surface area was lower than that of TM-100. The highly dispersive character of the starting TM-100 may explain the observed high surface area of the silica-coated α-alumina. The difference in the effect of silica coating between TM-100 and ALO-4 may also be ascribed to the difference in their dispersive characteristics.