[DacBleda]

Have any of you any suggestion how to precipitate aluminum from a reduction reaction done with Vitride in Toluene. A basic water washing can not be done, cause the organic product is water soluble and addition of 3 mols of water to precipitate Al(OH)3 works but the solid is too sticky to be filtered properly

[Dude]

Have you tried a filtration aid such as "Celite"?  Wet the filter paper and then pack some Celite in the funnel.  Sticky stuff clings a little better and tends not to pass through the filter or plug up as much.  Is the product also insoluble in toluene (decantation of toluene with Vitride in it), or is it a carboxylic acid that becomes water soluble only with base?

[DacBleda]

We've tried celite, carbon and some inorganic salts as absorbent of the aluminates, but it makes a kind of gum that stops the filtration. The product isn't an organic acid, but it's unstable under acid mediums and in any case very, very soluble in aqueous solution, although it is a salts saturated solution.