Low Temperature Synthesis Of A Stable Compound Of Magnesium Aluminum Titanate Using Microwave Heating

The major problem associated with application of aluminum titanate is decomposition to Al2O3 and TiO2 oxides during heat treatment (in the range of 900-1280 degrees C). In the present study, a stable compound of magnesium aluminum titanate ceramics (Mg0.6Al0.8Ti1.6O5) has been successfully synthesized with a straightforward non hydrolytic sol-gel process using inorganic metal compound. The raw materials were MgCl2.2H(2)O, AlCl3, TiCl4, and citric acid that were dissolved in ethanol. Prepared gel was dried at 120 degrees C and calcined at various temperatures using microwave heating. The results of X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Simultaneous Thermal Analysis (STA) demonstrate that the direct crystallization of mono-phase magnesium aluminum titanate from fluffy precursor at a temperature below aluminum titanate decomposition temperature range is feasible. The formation of crystalline Mg0.6Al0.8Ti1.6O5 phase starts at about 400 degrees C. Also, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) study and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis represent the nano-metric size of the mesoporous particles. The average particle size and specific surface area of powders were lower than 20 nm and more than 98 m(2)g(-1), respectively, at low temperatures.