Activated Alumina is alumina in the form of very porous spheres that are literally “tunnels” at the microscopic level.

An important characteristic of activated alumina is that it is very stable. It will combine with other substances without changing their own chemistry or form. And, because it is porous, its surface area is much greater than its weight, allowing it to adsorb large amounts of things.

What is Activated Alumina Used For?

Activated alumina can be used for air drying which is critical for the safe transport of volatile gases. Gases such as propane must be dried before use to prevent dangerous leaks from corroding equipment. As a result, it is used in the manufacture of hydrogen peroxide, dehydration, and purification of natural gas and gasoline.

As a desiccant, it works through adsorption. As air passes through, the water in the air actually sticks to the activated alumina itself between the tiny tunnels. The water molecules are trapped so that the air is dried as it passes through the filter. This process is reversible. If the alumina desiccant is heated to about 200°C, it will release the trapped water. This process is called the regeneration of the desiccant.

Activated alumina is used in a wide range of adsorbent and catalyst applications, including the adsorption of catalysts in polyethylene production and as a selective adsorbent in hydrogen peroxide production for many chemicals, including arsenic and fluoride. It is also used in industrial applications for water purification, municipal water treatment facilities, and for household use. It excels in the removal of fluoride from drinking water as well as lead, arsenic, and other contaminants. Activated alumina is an effective way to clean up the environment.

How Does an Air Dryer Work?

An air compressor dryer is also known as a compressed air dryer. It is used to remove water from compressed air which has many contaminants, including water, oil, and solid impurities; solid impurities and oil can be removed through filters, while water must be removed by using an air compressor dryer.

Air compressor dryers can be divided into an adsorption dryer (desiccant air dryer ), and a refrigerated dryer.

Adsorption dryers use adsorbents including silica gel, activated alumina, and molecular sieve. These adsorbents have large voids, and the pressure of adsorbed water molecules is less than the surface partial pressure of water vapor in the air, so the adsorption effect is great. After absorbing enough water and reaching saturation, desorption and regeneration are required so that the dryer can continue to work. The adsorption dryer has two towers generally, one tower adsorbs dry air under working pressure and the other tower desorbs and regenerates under atmospheric pressure. By alternating the work of the two towers, the efficiency is improved.

A refrigerated air dryer uses the principle of freeze-drying air. Under the influence of refrigerant, it can work in cycles under different states of compression, condensation, expansion, and evaporation. Compressed air containing a large amount of water vapor can be supersaturated and condensed at low temperatures, so that water is analyzed and discharged through an automatic drain valve. Therefore the compressed air obtain the desired dew point. Due to the use of refrigeration technology, the pipeline ice plug phenomenon occurs often and attention needs to be paid to the dew point temperature.

How Does Activated Alumina

Work for Air Drying?

The air carries gaseous water when it enters the air compressor. The gaseous water will become liquid after the air is compressed, and the condensed liquid water will have adverse effects on the pipelines and valves of the equipment, so it is necessary to use desiccant in an air dryer to dry the compressed air gas.

As the adsorbent of the adsorption air dryer, it is subjected to frequent impacts of pressure, water vapor, and heat most of the time, and is easily subjected to mechanical crushing and fouling by media, which deteriorates the performance of the adsorbent. Activated alumina as the main adsorbent of adsorption desiccant has strong and stable adsorption performance, does not deliquesce when encountering moisture, and has high anti-crushing strength and anti-abrasive properties. It is with a wider range of applications and is more suitable for adsorption air dryers.

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