Effect of Content of Mg(NO3)2·6H2O on Fabrication of α-Alumina Nanopowders by Thermal Decomposition of Ammonium Aluminum Carbonate (AACH)

Abstract

An alpha-Al2O3 and MgAl2O3 spinel phase doped alpha-Al2O3 nanopowders were fabricated by the thermal decomposition and synthetic of ammonium aluminum carbonate hydroxide (AACH). Crystallite size of 5 to 8 nm were fabricated when reaction temperature of AACH was low, 8 degrees C, and the highest [NH4+][AlO(OH)2-][HCO3] ionic concentration of pH 10 from the ammonium hydrogen carbonate (AHC) aqueous solution. The phase transformation of amorphous-s, theta-, alpha-Al2O3, MgAl2O3 spinel phases was examined at each temperature according to the amount of Mg(NO3)2 x 6H2O and AACH. A time-temperature-transformation (TTT) diagram for thermal decomposition in air was determined. Homogeneous, spherical alpha-Al2O3 nanopowders with a particle size of 60 nm were obtained by firing the crystallites, which had been synthesized from AACH at pH 10 and 8 degrees C, at 1050 degrees C for 6 h in air.