MECHANOCHEMICAL SYNTHESIS OF SINGLE PHASE NANOCRYSTALLINE FORSTERITE POWDER

Pure nanocrystalline forsterite (Mg(2)SiO(4)) powder was successfully synthesized by mechanochemical route and subsequent annealing. The starting materials were talc (Mg(3)Si(4)O(10)(OH)(2)) and magnesium carbonate (MgCO(3)) powders. To produce forsterite powder, first talc and magnesium carbonate powders were calcined at 1200 degrees C for 1 h and 700 degrees C for 2 h, respectively. After that the mixture of obtained powders was milled by a planetary ball mill, and then annealed at 1000 degrees C and 1200 degrees C for 1 h. Thermogravimetric (TG) analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques were utilized to characterize the initial and prepared powders. The results showed that a single phase nanocrystalline forsterite powder with a crystallite size of 49 nm was obtained after 40 h milling and subsequent annealing at 1000 degrees C for 1 h.