PREPARATION OF SILICA-ALUMINA COMPOSITION

A process for preparing a silica-alumina composition containing of from 30 to 70% wt silica and of from 70 to 30% wt of alumina, which process comprises (a) preparing an aqueous mixture containing aluminum sulfate and having a pH in the range of from 1.0 to 6.5; (b) adding alkali metal aluminate to the mixture obtained in step (a) to increase the pH of the mixture to within the range of from 7.1 to 12; (c) adding aluminum sulfate to the mixture obtained in step (b) to lower the pH of the mixture to within the range of from 1.5 to 6.5; (d) adding alkali metal silicate to the mixture obtained in step (c) to increase the pH of the mixture to within the range of from 6.5 to 11, (e) adding aluminum sulfate to the mixture obtained in step (d) to lower the pH of the mixture to within the range of from 1.5 to 6.5; wherein the final steps of the preparation process are (w) adding alkali metal silicate to a silica-alumina mixture obtained by step (a)-(e) to increase the pH of the mixture to within the range of from 5.0 to 8.5, (x) adding to the mixture obtained in step (w) (i) alkali metal aluminate to change the pH of the mixture to of from 7.8 to 12 and (ii) aluminum sulfate to change the pH of the mixture to within the range of from 1.5 to 7.7, wherein step (i) can precede or succeed step (ii), (y) treating the mixture obtained in step (x) with an alkaline solution having a pH of from 7.5 to 12, and (z) recovering a precipitate solid from the mixture obtained in step (y) to obtain a silica-alumina composition containing of from 30 to 70% wt silica and of from 70 to 30% wt of alumina.