Abstract

Boehmite (AlOOH) powder with uniform pore size and high specific surface area were synthesized via sol-gel method using metal salts, Al_2(SO_4)_3 and NaAlO_2. During these synthetic process, the effects of the aging time were investigated to determine the optimal synthetic conditions of boehmite. X-ray diffraction, BET, Raman/IR, and scanning electron microscopy techniques were used for the characterization of the powder. Boehmite gel synthesized at the first stage of the experimental procedure transformed to crystalline boehmite phase after aging for 6 hours. The specific surface area of the crystalline boehmite showed a maximum value, 350m2/g, at aging time of 72 hours. The pore size of the boehmite increased with increasing aging time and the boehmite with average pore diameter of 3.6 nm was obtained at aging time of 96 hours.

• Keywords: Nanoporous;Boehmite;Sol-gel process;