Process for forming a stable agglomerated mass of active alumina

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR FORMING A MECHANICALLY STRONG AGGLOMERATED MASS OF ACTIVE ALUMINA HAVING A VOLUME OF MICROPORES SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN THE ALUMINA FROM WHICH THE AGGLOMERATE IS PRODUCED, WHICH COMPRISES HEATING FINELY DIVIDED PARTICLES OF A CRYSTALLINE ALUMINA TRIHYDRATE NOT EXCEEDING 90 MICRONS IN SIZE AT TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 150* C. TO 500* C. WHILE REMOVING THE WATER VAPOR LIBERATED FROM THE AREA AROUND THE PARTICLES BEING HEATED SUBSTANTIALLY IMMEDIATELY AFTER ITS FORMATION UNTIL A MAJOR PROPORTION OF THE ALUMINA TRIHYDRATE INTO AN ALUMINA HYDRATABLE INTO CRYSTALLINE BETA ALUMINA TRIHYDRATE, GRINDING THE ACTIVE MATERIAL TO REDUCED THE PARTICLE SIZE SO THAT THEY ARE PREDOMINATLY BELOW 1 MICRON IN SIZE, MIXING WATER WITH THE DEHYDRATED MATERIAL AND FROM ING THE MIXTURE INTO A AGGLOMERATED MASS, HYDRAULICALLY HARDENING THE FORMED MASS IN A MOIST ATMOSPHERE AT A TEMPERATURE OF THE ORDER OF ABOUT 100* C. FOR A PERIOD OF TIME OF ABOUT 8 TO 10 HOURS, AND HEATING THE HARDENED MATERIAL WITH A STREAM OF DRY AIR AT A TEMPERATURE ABOVE 250* C. TO ACTIVATE THE FORMED MATERIAL, THEREBY PRODUCING AN AGGLOMERATE HAVING A VOLUME OF MICROPORES SUBSTANTIALLY GRATER THAN THE ALUMINA FROM WHICH THE AGGLOMERATE IS PRODUCED.