Process for producing alumina hydrate having 1. 2 to 2. 6 moles of water of hydration

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PRODUCING ALUMINA COMPRISING SLOWLY ADDING IN INCREMENTS A 0.1 TO 4 MOLAL AQUEOUS ACIDIC SOLUTION OF AN ALUMINUM SALT WHOSE ANION IS REMOVABLE FROM SAID ALUMINA TO A 0.1 TO 4 MOLAL AQUEOUS ALKALI METAL FREE AMMONIUM HYDROXIDE SOLUTION, THE ADDITION OF SAID ALUMINUM SALT SOLUTION TO SAID AMMONIUM HYDROXIDE SOLUTION RAPIDLY DECREASING THE PH OF THE AMMONIUM HYDROXIDE SOLUTION AT LEAST TO A PH OF 10.5, THEREUPON MAINTAINING THE PH IN THE MIXING SOLUTION IN THE RANGE BETWEEN 10.5 AND 7, AVOIDING EVEN LOCALIZED ZONES IN SAID AMMONIUM HYDROXIDE SOLUTION BELOW A PH OF 7, PRECIPITATING A CRYSTALLINE ALUMINA HYDRATE CONTAINING BETWEEN 1.2 AND 2.6 MOLES OF WATER OF HYDRATION PER MOLE OF AL2O3, MAINTAINING ACETATE ION IN THE LIQUID ASSOCIATED WITH SAID ALUMINA HYDRATE DURING THE PRECIPITATION OPERATION AND SUBSTANTIALLY AS LONG AS SAID ALUMINA HYDRATE IS IN THE WET STATE TO STABILIZED SAID HYDRATE, AND DRYING SAID HYDRATE.