Carbon-coated alumina and process for making same

Claim 2

A COMPOSITION OF MATTER FOR USE AS AN ADSORBENT, CATALYST AND CATALYST SUPPORT CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF DISCRETE CARBON-IMPREGNATED PARTICLES OF AN ACTIVATED ALUMINA HYDRATE, SAID HYDRATE BEING A PARTIALLY DEHYDRATED ALUMINA TRIHYDRATE CONTAINING A TRIHYDRATE PHASE AND AT LEAST ONE TRANSITION PRODUCT WHICH INCLUDES A MONOHYDRATE PHASE, SAID PARTICLES EXHIBITING A SURFACE AREA OF AT LEAST 100 SQUARE METERS PER GRAM DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF A PLURALITY OF FINE PORES IN THE PARTICLES, SAID CARBON BEING PRESENT FROM ABOUT 2% TO ABOUT 15% BY WEIGHT OF THE COMPOSITION IN THE FORM OF ACTIVATED CARBON IMPREGNATED IN SAID PARTICLES AND AS A TIGHTLY BOUND COATING ON THE PORE WALLS AND EXTERIOR SURFCES OF EACH HYDRATE PARTICLE.

Claim 3

A PROCESS OF PREPARING THE COMPOSITION OF CLAIM 1 WHICH COMPRISES: CONTACTING FINELY DIVIDED DISCRETE PARTICLES OF AN ACTIVATED ALUMINA HYDRATE WITH A LIQUID CONTAINING A CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL CAPABLE OF THERMAL DEGRADATION TO ACTIVATED CARBON SO AS TO IMPREGNATE SAID DISCRETE PARTICLES WITH SAID CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL; HEATING SAID DISCRETE PARTICLES IN AN ATMOSPHERE SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF OXYGEN TO A TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENT TO DEGRADE SAID CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL TO ACTIVATED CARBON AND TO VOLATILIZE THE REMAINDER OF SAID MATERIAL AND INSUFFICIENT TO CONVERT SAID ACTIVATED ALUMINA HYDRATE TO ANHYDROUS ALUMINA, WHILE MAINTAINING THE DISCRETE NATURE OF SAID PARTICLES; REMOVING THE VOLATILIZED DEGRADATION PRODUCTS DURING SAID HEATING STEP; AND COOLING THE RESULTING DISCRETE, ACTIVATEDCARBON-IMPREGNATED PARTICLES.