Abstract

• The majority of the energy drinks are labelled as “canning” (in which aluminum sheet is commonly used). Can is a waste material that pollutes our environment. This research aims to take advantage of aluminium waste cans (Coca Cola) by using them as raw materials for preparing alumina (Al2O3) by the co-precipitation method. The synthesis of α-Al2O3 from waste aluminium cans is presented in this study. The proposed technique was the precipitation of aluminum chloride with NaOH to produce aluminium hydroxide. The obtained Al (OH)3 was washed, crushed, and dried at 105 °C, and then it was converted to alumina by calcination using different calcination temperatures (500, 600, 700 and 800°C) for 2 h. The prepared aluminium oxide nanoparticles were characterized by EDXRF, FT IR, SEM and XRD techniques. The γ-Al2O3 phase was found in the sample calcined at 600 °C, according to XRD data. The methodology has the capability to produce nano-alumina powder; the average crystal size was 30.05– 51.49 nm. Furthermore, the SEM image of these samples revealed that the γ-Al2O3 phase had an irregular spherical shape. Thus, the use of waste aluminium can precursors simplifies the process, and the synthesized alumina is a valued added material.