What is claimed is:
1. A device for compressing a load of particulate material in an open-top trailer comprising:
a frame mounted on a support so as to be elevated over a load of particulate material in an open-top trailer,
a drum roller rotatably mounted to said frame,
a windrower mounted to said frame adjacent said drum roller,
said windrower for windrowing a heaped portion of said load of particulate material, said heaped portion heaped above upper edges of sides of said trailer, said windrower windrowing said heaped portion into a windrow of particulate material generally centrally aligned with a longitudinal axis of said trailer as said trailer and said windrower are translated relative to one another along said longitudinal axis,
said drum roller disposed on said frame so as to roll over and thereby compress said windrow of particulate material as said trailer and said roller translate relative to one another along said longitudinal axis.
2. The device of claim 1 wherein said windrower has a converging load compression surface for slidably engaging and compressing said heaped portion of said load of particulate material.
3. The device of claim 2 wherein said load compression surface is a funnel.
4. The device of claim 1 wherein said roller extends along its axis of rotation so as to extend to at least said sides of said trailer.
5. A device for compressing a load of particulate material in an open-top trailer comprising:
a frame mountable on a support so as to be elevated over a load of particulate material in an open-top trailer,
a drum roller rotatably mountable to said frame,
a windrower mountable to said frame adjacent said drum roller,
said windrower for windrowing a heaped portion of said load of particulate material, said heaped portion heaped above upper edges of sides of said trailer, said windrower windrowing said heaped portion into a windrow of particulate material generally centrally aligned with a longitudinal axis of said trailer as said trailer and said windrower are translated relative to one another along said longitudinal axis,
said drum roller disposed on said frame so as to roll over and thereby compress said windrow of particulate material as said trailer and said roller translate relative to one another along said longitudinal axis.
6. The device of claim 5 wherein said windrower has a converging load compression surface for slidably engaging and compressing said heaped portion of said load of particulate material.
7. The device of claim 6 wherein said load compression surface is a funnel.
8. The device of claim 5 wherein said roller extends along its axis of rotation so as to extend to at least said sides of said trailer.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method of forming boehmite particulate material, comprising:
providing boehmite precursor and boehmite seeds in water to form an aqueous suspension; and
hydrothermally treating the aqueous suspension to convert the boehmite precursor into boehmite particles having a needle-shaped morphology, an aspect ratio of at least 3:1, wherein aspect ratio is the ratio of longest dimension to next largest dimension at least 3:1, and a particle size within a range of 50 to 2000 nm, wherein the boehmite seeds provide a nucleation site for the growth of the boehmite particles.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the boehmite particles have an aspect ratio of at least 6:1.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the boehmite particles have a particle size within a range of 100 to 1000 nm.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the suspension contains 5 to 40wt % of boehmite precursor.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the suspension contains 10 to 30 wt % of boehmite precursor.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the suspension contains 2 to 15 wt % boehmite seeds, based on the weight of the boebruite precursor.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the suspension contains 5 to 10 wt % boehmite seeds, based on the weight of the boehmite precursor.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein hydrothermal treatment is carried out at a temperature within a range of 100 to 300\xb0 C.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein hydrothermal treatment is carried out at a temperature within a range of 150 to 250\xb0 C.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein hydrothermal treatment is carried out under autogenous conditions.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein hydrothermal treatment is carried out under a pressure of about 1\xd7105 to 8.5\xd7106 Nm2.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein hydrothermal treatment is carried out under a pressure of about 5\xd7105 to 1.2\xd7106 Nm2.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein hydrothermal treatment is carried out in an acidic pH.
14. The method of claim 1, wherein the boehmite particles have a surface area greater than about 75 m2g.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the boehmite particles have a surface area greater than about 100 m2g.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the boelimite particles have a surface area within a range of about 100 m2g to 300 m2g.
17. The method of claim 1, wherein the boehmite particles are nano-dispersable.