The effect of crystallization time and H2O/CTAB ratio in the synthesis of mesoporous alumina from bauxite residue (red mud)

Abstract

Mesoporous alumina has been successfully synthesized from bauxite residues (red mud) as raw material and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as template at room temperature. The effects of crystallization time and molar ratio of H2O/CTAB on structural and textural properties of mesoporous alumina were investigated. The synthesized product was characterized by XRD, FTIR, SEM-EDX, TEM, N2 adsorption-desorption and acidity test using pyridine adsorption. The XRD pattern and SEM micrograph showed that the synthesized product possessed an amorphous phase and irregular shapes. From obtained results, it could be observed that crystallization time and H2O/CTAB ratio influenced the surface acidity of mesoporous alumina.