Synthesis of ZnO-Containing Calcium Silicate Nano Powders: A study on Sinterability, Mechanical and Electrical Properties

In this study, amorphous ZnO-containing calcium silicate nano powders were prepared by sol-gel technique and then calcined at different temperatures; namely, 600, 800 and 1000 degrees C, to study their crystallization. The synthesized powders were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Then, the synthesized powders were sintered at different temperatures. The sintered ceramics were examined for their physical properties, microstructure, mechanical properties and electrical properties by the suitable techniques. The results revealed that the synthesized nano powders were amorphous even after calcination up to 800 degrees C. By increasing the calcination temperature into 1000 degrees C, crystalline calcium silicate ceramic was formed. The average particle size of this crystalline material was 50 nm with lower agglomeration among the others calcined at low temperatures. Regarding to the sintered ceramics, the bulk density, fracture toughness and electrical conductivity were increased with increasing both sintering temperature and zinc content. On the other hand, microhardness, compressive strength, elastic moduli and Poisson's ratio were increased with increasing sintering temperature and decreased with increasing the zinc content.

Automated summary

Amorphous ZnO-containing calcium silicate nano powders were prepared by sol-gel technique and then calcined at different temperatures. XRD, FTIR, and TEM were used to examine the synthesized powders, and their physical, microstructural, mechanical, and electrical properties were studied after sintering at different temperatures. The results showed that the synthesized nano powders remained amorphous up to 800 degrees C, but crystalline calcium silicate ceramic was formed at 1000 degrees C. The sintered ceramics displayed improved physical and mechanical properties with increasing sintering temperature and zinc content.