Preparation of nano-structured strontium carbonate from Dasht-e kavir celestite ore via mechanochemical method

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

School of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Strontium carbonate (SrCO3) is one of the most important strontium compounds that have been used in a variety of technological and industrial applications. In the present investigation, nano-structured strontium carbonate was synthesized by mechano-chemical reaction of celestite ore (SrSO4) collected from Dasht-e kavir, Iran and sodium carbonate during high energy mechanical milling.The milling were performed for different durations of time up to 16 hours in a high-energy planetary ball mill with the rotational speed and ball to powder weight ratio of 300 rpm and 30, respectively. X-Ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRF) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were used to characterize the obtained samples. XRD results showed that at a Na2CO3:SrSO4 molar ratio of 1.05:1, mechano-chemical reaction started after 1 hour of milling. Although the longer milling times gives a more conversion of SrSO4 to SrCO3 but it has not been completed even after 16 hours of milling. However, by increasing the molar ratio of Na2CO3:SrSO4 to 1.25:1, the SrCO3 formation was completed after 2 hours. The results also showed that the mean crystallites sizes of produced nano-powder were approximately 32 nm. XRF result indicated that the final product was obtained with a purity of 95 wt.%. SEM studies confirmed the formation of SrCO3 nano-powder with a mean particle size of 80 nm.

Keywords


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