Fabrication of MgO and ZnO nanoparticles by the aid of eggshell bioactive membrane and exploring their catalytic activities on thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate

Abstract

In this research, spherical nanoparticles (NPs) of magnesium oxide (MgO) and zinc oxide (ZnO) were prepared by calcinations of their carbonate precursor, fabricated through the eggshell bioactive membrane at the room temperature. The chemical structure, purity, particle size and morphology of the fabricated MgO and ZnO NPs were characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. The results confirmed the formation of targeted materials, while the obtained MgO and ZnO NPs have the average particle size of about 35 and 30 nm, respectively. The fabricated NPs were explored as the additives to improve thermal behavior of ammonium perchlorate (AP) particles. To achieve this aim, NPs were mixed with AP by solvent/non-solvent method to prepare nano-composites. The SEM photographs showed the successful dispersion of MgO and ZnO NPs throughout the AP particles without considerable agglomeration. Thus, thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetric techniques were utilized to examine thermal behavior of the prepared AP nano-composites. Thermal analysis results showed that introducing 0.5% MgO NPs yields an interested catalytic effect on the thermal pattern of AP, while adding 2% ZnO NPs leads to improve thermal decomposition of AP. Finally, the apparent activation energy (E), ΔG #, ΔH #, ΔS # of thermal decomposition processes of pure and treated samples were obtained by non-isothermal methods proposed by Kissinger and Starink.