Thermochemical studies on the formation and constitution of the zinc oxide-aluminium oxide system

Abstract

This study is based on thermogravimetric (TG), differential thermal analysis (DTA) and chemical analysis of the ZnO---Al₂O₃ system. The coprecipitation from mixed nitrate salt solutions of zinc and aluminium results in the formation of zinc basic carbonate and aluminium hydroxide, and is also a precursor to aluminate spinel (2ZnO·3Al₂O₃) only in the samples in which aluminium is present in near or above stoichiometric quantities. Grinding of the mixtures of individual precipitates maintains the similarity with coprecipitates in forming a "precursor", but to a lesser extent. The endothermic peak in DTA at 275°C in some coprecipitated and mixed samples hints at the formation of a precursor since the individual precipitate does not have a peak at this temperature. The "precursor" to spinel obtained in the precipitation stage in some coprecipitated samples is freely soluble in 1 M HCl, and that obtained at 450°C is partially soluble which cannot be detected by the usual X-ray technique due to its highly disordered structure in amorphous state. The "precursor" is converted around 800°C to an actual spinel structure, which is almost insoluble in M HCl and is detectable by X-rays.