Hydrothermal synthesis of nanosize alpha-Al2O3 from seeded aluminum hydroxide

Abstract

α-Alumina and boehmite particles were synthesized by co-precipitation followed by a hydrothermal treatment. X-ray diffraction (XRD) indicated that α-Al2O3 was the major phase and coexisted with 4% of boehmite in the presence of the α-Al2O3 seeds. On the other hand, a single boehmite phase was obtained in the absence of the α-Al2O3 seed particles. The powder densified in the temperature range from 1050° to 1350°C. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) showed that the particle size of the synthesized α-Al2O3 was 60 nm. The surface area was 245 m2/g.