Crystallization kinetics of MgO–Y2O3 composite nanopowder synthesized via combustion sol–gel method

Abstract

The aim of this study is to synthesize MgO–Y2O3 nanocomposite by combustion sol–gel method from sucrose as a combustion agent. The influence of the ratio of sucrose (Su) to the transition metals (TM) on the phase and particle size of the composite nanopowder was investigated using a combination of X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy techniques. In order to prediction of phase growth, the kinetics of crystallization of MgO–Y2O3 nanocomposite was also studied in the isothermal conditions using a differential scanning calorimetric technique. Results show that increasing the concentration of sucrose reduced the particle size from 29.3 to 21.6 nm. The ratio of Su to the TM optimized on 4 value. The Avrami exponent was found to be about 3 indicating 3-dimensional growth. The activation energy of crystallization was also determined to be 34.9 ± 0.01 kJ mol−1. Finally, the TEM results confirmed the 3-dimensional growth of MgO–Y2O3 nanopowders.