Abstract: A method of producing high strength shaped alumina by feeding alumina power into an agglomerator having a shaft with mixers able to displace the alumina power along the shaft, spraying a liquid binder onto the alumina power as it is displaced along the shaft to form a shaped alumina, and calcining the shaped alumina. The shaped alumina produced having a loose bulk density of greater than or equal to 1.20 g/ml, a surface area less than 10 m2/g, impurities of less than 5 ppm of individual metals and less than 9 ppm of impurities in total, and/or crush strength of greater than 12,000 psi.

Abstract: A method of producing new hydrophobic aluminas by i) providing a slurry comprising an alumina compound, the slurry having a pH of above 5.5; ii) mixing an organic composition comprising carboxylic acids with long hydrocarbon chains with the slurry to form an acid modified slurry; iii) hydrothermally conditioning the acid modified slurry to form a hydrothermally aged slurry; and iv) drying the hydrothermally aged slurry. The new hydrophobic aluminas have surface modified structures distinguished by a low humidity content and very small nanoparticles. These new hydrophobic aluminas can be uniformly dispersed in a substrate, for example polymers.

Abstract: A method of producing a hydrophobic porous alumina by: i) providing a slurry comprising an alumina compound, the slurry having a pH equal to or greater than 7; ii) adding an organic composition comprising carboxylic acids with alkyl hydrocarbon chains having a carbon length less than 14 to the slurry to form an acidic modified slurry; the acidic modified slurry having a pH of between 3 and less than 7; iii) hydrothermally aging the acidic modified slurry to form a hydrothermally aged slurry; and iv) drying the hydrothermally aged slurry.

Abstract: A phosphate ester composition comprising more than 50 mass % of a phosphate ester represented by Formula 1, wherein X, Y, and Z are independently selected from the group consisting of alkyl, heteroalkyl, heteroaryl or aryl, with at least one of X, Y and Z being aryl, represented by Formula 2, and wherein two or more of R3, R4 and R5 have from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, and the total number of carbon atoms in R3, R4 and R5 is from 3 to 30. The use of the phosphate ester composition as a flame retardant, a lubricant, an anti-wear additive, a hydraulic fluid, a self-extinguishing functional fluid, or an additive thereof.

Abstract: A process for producing a magnesium aluminate spinel comprising the steps of: i) preparing a magnesium suspension containing a magnesium compound; ii) preparing an aluminum suspension containing an aluminum compound; iii) feeding the magnesium suspension and aluminum suspension independently into a spray dryer nozzle to form a mixed magnesium, aluminum suspension; iv) feeding the mixed magnesium, aluminium suspension from the spray dryer nozzle into a spray dryer to form a mixed magnesium and aluminum compound; and v) calcining the mixed magnesium and aluminum compound to generate a magnesium aluminate spinel.

Abstract: The invention provides for a method of making a magnesium aluminate spinel including an alumina compound and a magnesium compound, the method including the steps of; dispersing the alumina compound by dispersing it in a aqueous solution, to form an alumina dispersion, the aqueous solution having a pH of between 2 and 5; preferably between 2 and 4, flocculating the alumina by increasing the pH of the alumina dispersion to a pH of between 8 and 10 by adding a base; adding the alumina dispersion to an aqueous dispersion of the magnesium compound to form a slurry; drying the slurry to produce a dried spinel precursor; and calcining the dried spinel precursor to produce the magnesium aluminate spinel. Dispersing at such a low pH results in a conversion to spinel as well as allows for the control of the surface area of the spinel.

Abstract: A process of preparing an alkoxylation catalyst wherein a catalyst precursor which is formed from an alkoxylated alcohol, calcium hydroxide, carboxylic acid, inorganic acid, and propylene oxide, is mixed with an antioxidant, preferably butylated hydroxyl toluene. A process of alkoxylation using the catalyst of the present invention.