You may or may not have heard of activated alumina. But you and your family have probably benefited from activated alumina many times. It may even be sitting in the water filter under your sink.

Features of Activated Alumina– Activated alumina is aluminum oxide in the form of very porous spheres that are literally “tunneled” at the microscopic level. This makes them handy for a number of different jobs. For example, they can be used to dry gases. The drying of gases is often vitally necessary for safe transportation of volatile gases.  Gases such as propane must be dried before use to prevent corrosion of equipment that could result in dangerous leaks.

Activated alumina adsorbs, not absorbs. There is an important difference. For example, a sponge will absorb water, but the water molecules do not actually bond with those of the sponge. And so, the water can simply leak out or evaporate after a while. On the other hand, activated alumina adsorbs. When a chemical is drawn into the pores of an activated alumina sphere, it actually bonds with the solid material. Once in, it won’t come out without considerable heating.

Uses for Activated Alumina– This makes activated alumina very useful in the clean up of toxic wastes and rain water runoff from contaminated areas. Rainwater can pick up contaminants such as soluble metals from industrial activity. It can also wash contaminants such as arsenic and lead into ground water from mining operations. Activated alumina, such as AA400G, is excellent not only for cleaning up toxic spills but it’s also good for cleaning up toxic sites that have been long abandoned and are only now being targeted for clean up.

Activated alumina is an efficient way to clean up the environment. It’s ability to bind with toxic substances means that these substances don’t leak back into the environment when disposed of.

An important feature of activated alumina is that it is very stable. It will bond with other substances without changing its own chemistry or form. And because it is so porous, its surface area is far greater than its weight, enabling it to adsorb a great deal.

Activated alumina is also an excellent desiccant it can dry air and other gases that have a high humidity. And so, it is used for dehydration and purification in the manufacturing of hydrogen peroxide, natural gas and gasoline.

It is also used for water purification in industrial applications, municipal water treatment facilities and in home use. It is excellent at removing fluoride from drinking water as well as lead, arsenic and other contaminants.

The high crush resistance, high porosity and very stable chemical and physical attributes of activated alumina make it one of the most important and useful elements in our high-tech society.

Delta can help you find the right product for your adsorption needs.  Please email us so we can help you find the solution.