Alumina Ceramic Balls

Alumina ceramic balls are made of alumina with very low silicon content, which gives them high purity and strength, making them extremely resistant to high temperatures. They are used in reaction towers to prevent equipment located beneath silicon earth cover from becoming fouled or damaging catalyst carriers.

Advantages
High wear resistance: Alumina ceramic balls have better wear resistance than ordinary ceramic balls. When the grinding ceramic ball is in operation, it does not produce pollution, so it can maintain high purity and improve the stability of the grinding effect.

High density: High density, hardness and grinding characteristics save grinding time, expand the space for grinding, and effectively improve the grinding effect.
Alumina ceramic balls are a type of ceramic filler mainly processed and produced using alumina materials. These products come in various specifications, sizes and purities, and are used as covering support materials and tower fillers for catalysts inside reactors. Zirconia-alumina ceramic balls have the characteristics of high temperature and pressure resistance, low water absorption, and stable chemical properties. They can withstand corrosion by acids, alkalis and other organic solvents, and can also withstand temperature changes during the production process. Their main function is to increase gas or liquid distribution points, support and protect low-strength active catalysts.

What are the detailed differences between active and inert alumina ceramic balls? What are the differences between active and inert properties in alumina ceramic balls? From a literal understanding, it can be understood as dynamic and static. Today, I will explain the previous question:

The appearance of active and inert alumina ceramic balls
Active alumina ceramic balls have many capillary pores and a large surface area.
Inert alumina ceramic balls are just ordinary ceramic balls.
Characteristics of active and inert alumina ceramic balls

The capillary pores on active ceramic balls have an adsorption effect and can adsorb many polar substances.
It is dynamic, meaning that when it combines with other materials, a reaction occurs. It also has a drying and catalytic effect, and has a strong affinity for water, oxides, alkalis, and acetic acid. It has high strength, low wear, does not soften when soaked in water, does not expand, powder or crack.
Inert ceramic balls are static and do not react with other materials, providing protective functions. They can withstand high temperatures, acids, alkalis, salts, and various organic solvents' corrosion. They are mainly used as isolation materials before and after filling catalyst layers in reactions.

Applications of active and inert alumina ceramic balls
Active alumina ceramic balls are commonly used in petroleum cracking gas, deep drying of ethylene and propylene gas, hydrogen production, air separation units, fluoride treatment of hydrogen peroxide, and instrument drying machines. They can also remove pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen fluoride, hydrocarbons, and fluorine-containing substances from waste gas, especially suitable for defluorination treatment of fluoride-containing water.
Inert ceramic balls are widely used in industries such as petroleum, fertilizers, chemicals, natural gas, and environmental protection. As support and covering materials for catalysts inside reactors, inert ceramic balls can buffer the impact of liquid and gas entering the reactor on the catalyst, protect the catalyst, and improve the distribution of liquid and gas inside the reactor.

Names of active and inert alumina ceramic balls
Active alumina is generally not referred to as ceramic balls; only inert alumina is called ceramic balls. Active alumina is a general term, and its name will vary according to different characteristics, such as active alumina adsorbent, active alumina defluorination agent, etc.

Activated alumina balls are white spherical objects made by processing aluminum hydroxide powder into spherical shapes, and then firing them at high temperatures in a kiln to produce activated alumina balls or other crystalline activated alumina ball products.
The production process of activated alumina using this method is called the Bayer process. The basic process of the Bayer process is as follows:

First, the preparation of raw slurry, which involves preparing a series of raw materials such as bauxite, limestone, sodium chloride solution, etc., according to a certain proportion to generate chemical compositions and physical properties that meet the requirements of leaching ingredients. The most important material is bauxite, which requires very high quality. Many provinces in China have bauxite reserves, but bauxite that meets the Bayer process firing process is concentrated in Guangxi, Henan, and other places. Especially in Guangxi, it is the largest bauxite province in China. Bauxite mined in Guangxi has high aluminum, high iron, high alumina-silicon ratio, low water content, and other characteristics, which are necessary for the production of alumina.

After the first process of preparing the raw slurry, subsequent processes include high-pressure leaching of the raw slurry, dilution of the slurry, separation and washing of the red mud, and decomposition of primary crystals. Finally, activated alumina balls that meet performance requirements are produced. The process is very complicated, with some processes requiring very strict requirements. For example, even simple firing processes require many process indicators, and if not met, the performance of the generated alumina will not reach the standard. The chemical equation is: 2Al(OH)3=(heating)=Al2O3+3H2O. After high-temperature dehydration, the desired alumina balls are produced.