Yasin Dortaj - Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Research Center of Iran
Mandana Akia - Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Research Center of Iran
Marzieh Hamidzadeh - Petrochemical Research and Technology Company

Alumina nanopowder has a wide variety of applications in differentindustries. The γ-alumina as a catalyst and catalyst support is greatlyemployed because of very appropriate specific surface area and suitablepore properties. In this research, nanosized γ-alumina as the catalystsupport with mesoporous structure was prepared using aqueous slurrysolutions of boehmite and surfactants as structure directing agent. Thethree surfactants used were n-butylamine and diethylenetriamine andtetrapropylammonium hydroxide. Spray dryer method was employed forthe prepared samples. The effect of three surfactants on the bulk density,specific surface area and pore structure of the produced γ-alumina wasinvestigated. Characterization analysis was performed with techniques ofX-ray diffraction (XRD), BET surface area, bulk density andthermogrametric analysis (TGA). The samples particle sizes obtainedusing BET surface area data, show particle diameter of about 9 nm. Inaddition, Spray dryed nanosized γ-alumina samples prepared using nbutylamineand diethylenetriamine surfactants showed suitable specificsurface area of about 180 m2 gr-1.

boehmite, surfactant, spray dryer, γ-Alumina, nanosized