Looking for alumina catalyst support supplier

[megalomania]

I am looking for a supplier that manufactures spherical or granular alumina particles suitable as catalyst carriers. One would imagine there would be many such suppliers, but I seem to be having trouble finding a cheap source. The only supplier that I have confirmed so far is Alfa Aesar, who sells 1/8 inch spheres for $107.00 per Kg. Other companies like Engelhard and UOP sell alumina catalyst supports, but they seem to be for big time buyers.

I am not looking for alumina powder, or nanoparticles. I would prefer particles sizes from 0.5 mm to 2 mm with a moderate to high porosity/surface area. Too many of these companies are going out of business or are getting bought out by big companies. Even small business research is being threatened these days.

As if making my own catalysts is not trouble enough, I would hate to have to make my own alumina. Alumina is supposed to be cheap, and plentiful, so where is the cheap stuff?

[reamio]

Mega:

have a look at this Indian supplier:

http://www.needsinfo.com/bhargava/index.htm

They state their smallest standard container is 50 kg, but if you send them an inquiry, they probably will have something smaller.

Considering the fact that Indian labor rates are around 50 times less than in Western countries, they should offer reasonable prices.:cool:

[shooter3]

Alumina is also the grit used in sandpaper. You could just dissolve the glue on various grades (for size). 2mm would be about the size from 16 grit, .5mm would be about80-100 grit.

[megalomania]

I doubt sandpaper type of alumina would be suitable for catalyst support. The hardness is inversely proportional to the absorption in general. The strong grit would be poor at absorbing anything.

[FUTI]

Mega I don't know much about this, but can alumina you won't be made from Al(OCH(CH3)2)3 using some hydrolysis procedure in dry organic solvent. Can that control particle size or we are forced to grinding the dried gelatinous mass when it shrinks and become brittle?

[Bugger]

Alumina is not the only type of grit used in sandpaper. The finest grades use finely crushed ordinary glass, although this is softer than most other abrasives. The hardest abrasive grit used is carborundum, SiC, made by reducing SiO2 with an excess of carbon in a furnace in the absence of air. Other materials used include crushed quartzite (ordinary beach sand, although quartz, does not have sufficiently sharp angular edges), crushed silicate rocks, and garnet.