Activated alumina is a porous, high-surface-area material typically in the form of spheres or irregular particles. It is widely used in industry as an adsorbent, catalyst, and defluoridator. In compressed air drying, activated alumina is a crucial desiccant.

What is Compressed Air Drying?

Compressed air generates moisture during production and application. If not removed, this moisture can damage equipment and 

products, such as:

Corrosion: Moisture can corrode pipes, valves, and pneumatic tools.

Icing: In cold environments, moisture can condense into ice, clogging pipes and pneumatic tools.

Deterioration of Product Quality: In applications such as painting, food processing, and pharmaceutical production, humid air can 

directly impact product quality.

To address these issues, compressed air must be dried, and dryers are key equipment for moisture removal.

How Activated Alumina Works in a Dryer

In a compressed air dryer, activated alumina primarily removes moisture through adsorption. Its internal structure features 

numerous micropores and tunnels, which create strong capillary forces that efficiently adsorb water molecules from the air. 

The process can be summarized as follows:

Adsorption Phase:

Moist compressed air enters the dryer and flows through the drying tower filled with activated alumina.

Activated alumina has a very large surface area, and water molecules are attracted and held in place by intermolecular forces 

within its micropores.

Over time, activated alumina gradually becomes saturated with adsorption, and its adsorption capacity decreases.

Regeneration Phase:

When activated alumina reaches saturation, it needs to be regenerated to restore its adsorption capacity.

Regeneration is typically achieved by heating or backflushing with low-pressure dry gas to remove the adsorbed water from the 

activated alumina.

The regenerated activated alumina can be returned to service and recycled.

In summary, activated alumina, due to its excellent adsorption performance, high recyclability, and good mechanical stability, has become an indispensable material in the compressed air drying industry and is widely used in various industrial production and manufacturing processes.