Abstract
Magnesium oxide and magnesium aluminate (MgAl2O4) spinel (MAS) powders have been synthesized by a simple aqueous sol-gel process using citrate polymeric precursors derived from magnesium chloride, aluminium nitrate and citrate. The thermal decomposition of the precursors and subsequent formation of cubic MgO and MAS were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetry-differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC) and Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR). The single phase cubic MgO powder and MAS powder form after heat treatment at 800 and 1200 °C, respectively. The particle size of the MgO and MAS powders is about 100 nm and several micrometers, respectively. Ball milling eliminates the size of MgO and MgAl2O4 spinel powders by decreasing the conglomeration of the powders.
Highlights
Magnesium oxide is a traditional raw material for use in a wide range of products, e.g. refractory, paints, paper, plastics, rubber, oil, pharmaceutical, fertilizer, animal feed, additive in superconductor products, waste treatment agent for neutralizing acids or cleaning water and as a catalyst material[1,2]
According to the JCPDS card (JCPDS card, No 45-0946), the phase of the powders (Figure 1a) obtained from magnesium precursor can be indexed to be cubic MgO structure which is consistent with the results reported in the literatures[3,4,5,6]
These results demonstrate that the fine MgO powders can be prepared by the simple sol-gel process using MgCl2
Summary
Magnesium oxide is a traditional raw material for use in a wide range of products, e.g. refractory, paints, paper, plastics, rubber, oil, pharmaceutical, fertilizer, animal feed, additive in superconductor products, waste treatment agent for neutralizing acids or cleaning water and as a catalyst material[1,2]. Most commercial MgO powders are synthesized by the calcinations of forms of Mg(OH)[2], such as brucite or precipitate from sea water, and thermal decomposition of MgCO , such as magnesite[3]. In such powders, the primary particles remain aggregated, usually in a shape similar to that of the precursor compound. A relatively simple, efficient, low-cost aqueous solgel process based on the in situ generation of water soluble metal complexes with magnesium chloride, aluminum nitrate and citric acid as raw materials has been developed to synthesize fine magnesium oxide and spinel powders. Decomposition of the citrate precursor and morphology of the synthesized powders are investigated
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