Question

what type of alumina, acidic or basic, would provide for the better separation of acids?

Answer 1

:- Aluminium oxide is amphoteric. It has reactions as both a base and an acid. Reaction with water: Aluminum oxide is insoluble in water and does not react like sodium oxide and magnesium oxide. The oxide ions are held too strongly in the solid lattice to react with the water.

The active sites used for separation consist of acidic alumina ions, basic oxide ions and polar Al-OH groups. The unsaturated alumina ions act as Lewis acids, and the Al-OH groups act as dipoles. The hydroxyl groups at the surface are responsible for the selective retention of adsorbed materials.