Process for producing a stable alumina monohydrate

Claim 1

IN THE PRODUCTION F ALUMINA MONOHYDRATE COMPOSITIONS BY A PROCESS COMPRISING THE FORMATION OF AN ALUMINA HYDROGEL CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A PREDOMINANT AMOUNT OF ALUMINA MONOHYDRATE BY THE ADDITION OF AN INORGANIC NEUTRALIZING BASE TO AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF AN ACID INORGANIC ALUMINUM SALT, WITH WASHING OF THE HYDROGEL WITH WATER UNTIL SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF CONTAMINATING IONS, THE METHOD OF ALUMINA MONOHYDRATE STABILIZATION AGAINST CONVERSION TO OTHER HYDRATE FORMES OF ALUMINA WHICH COMPRISES CONTACTING AN AQUEOUS SLURRY OF THE HYDROGEL UNDER ALKALINE CONDITIONS WITH ABOUT 0.5 TO 3.0%, BASED ON THE ALUMINA ON A DRY BASIS OF A WATER-SOLUBLE CHELATING ORGANIC COMPONENT OF 2 TO 10 CARBON ATOMS CONTAINING MULTI-CARBOXYLATE IONS, THE PH OF SAID SLURRY AFTER CONTACT WITHT EH CHELATING AGENT BEING GREATER THAN 7, AND IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO STABILIZE THE ALUMINA MONOHYDRATE AGAINST TRANSFORMATION TO OTHER FORMS OF ALUMINA WITHOUT PEPTIZATION OF SAID ALUMINA MONOHYDRATE.