Zirconia alumina composite was prepared as rigid microspheres by means of a sol gel process. Scan electron micrograph, electron spectroscopy, nitrogen adsorption, and potentiometric titration were used to characterize the zirconia alumina composite before and after acid etching. After the acid etching, the specific surface area of the zirconia alumina composite is about five times larger than that before acid etching; the molar ratio of Zr/Al and the acidity also increases, while the pore size decreases. The normal phase chromatographic performance of the zirconia alumina composite before and after acid etching was studied by using dichloromethane/cyclohexane, chloroform/cyclohexane, ethanol/cyclohexane as mobile phases. After the acid etching the zirconia alumina composite exhibited a higher column efficiency and different separation selectivity as compared with that before the acid etching. Basic compounds have a greater retention on the composite after the acid etching.
