Efficient synthesis of forsterite via high-temperature thermochemical reactions from boron mud waste without briquetting

Abstract

Forsterite is a highly demanded material in high-temperature industries due to its superior performance in elevated temperatures. This study proposes synthesizing high-quality forsterite via high-temperature thermochemical reactions using abundant boron mud waste. The new synthesis method capitalizes on the high reactivity of fine raw powder materials, enabling the reaction to reach completion at low temperatures rapidly. The chemical characteristics, microscopic morphology, and structure of synthesized samples are systematically studied using XRD and SEM. The results confirm that boron mud can be efficiently transformed into forsterite after 10 min of reactions at 1500 °C. The synthesized products attain over 98.7% densification and contain more than 85.0% forsterite with well-developed grains. The activation energy of forsterite grain growth in the 1100–1500 °C temperature range is 165.5 kJ/mol. This study provides a low-cost method for producing forsterite and an efficient and environmentally friendly solution for treating solid waste.