Two powder synthesis of hydrotalcite and hydrotalcite-like compounds

There is provided an improved method for making synthetic hydrotalcite by first reacting powdered magnesium oxide with a high surface area, transition alumina in a solution or suspension to form a meixnerite-like intermediate. This intermediate is then contacted with an anion source such as an acid, and most preferably carbon dioxide, to form the layered double hydroxide which is separated from the suspension by filtering, centrifugation, vacuum dehydration or other known means. On a preferred basis, the transition alumina combined with activated magnesia consists essentially of a rehydratable alumina powder having a surface area of 100 m<2>/g or greater. To make related double hydroxide compounds, still other reactants such as bromides, chlorides, boric acids, or salts thereof, may be subsituted for the carbon dioxide gas fed into this suspension.