Title: Structural properties of ferric pseudobrookite Fe₂Ti₁O₅ powder prepared by a new method

Authors: N.I. Aljuraide, M.A.A. Mousa, M. Hessien, Mohsen Qhatani, Ameen Ashour, H.L. Wamocha, H.H. Hamdeh, M.A. Ahmed

Addresses: Materials Science Lab, Faculty of Science, Taif University, Al-Haweiah, P.O. Box 888, 21974 Taif, Saudi Arabia. ' Materials Science Lab, Faculty of Science, Taif University, Al-Haweiah, P.O. Box 888, 21974 Taif, Saudi Arabia. ' Materials Science Lab, Faculty of Science, Taif University, Al-Haweiah, P.O. Box 888, 21974 Taif, Saudi Arabia. ' Materials Science Lab, Faculty of Science, Taif University, Al-Haweiah, P.O. Box 888, 21974 Taif, Saudi Arabia. ' Materials Science Lab, Faculty of Science, Taif University, Al-Haweiah, P.O. Box 888, 21974 Taif, Saudi Arabia. ' Mossbauer Lab, Department of Physics, Wichita State University, Kansas, USA. ' Mossbauer Lab, Department of Physics, Wichita State University, Kansas, USA. ' Materials Science Lab, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Taif University, Al-Haweiah, P.O. Box 888, 21974 Taif, Saudi Arabia

Abstract: Ferric pseudobrookite Fe₂TiO₅ was successfully synthesised by the oxalate precursor method and subsequent calcination at temperatures ranging from 900°C to 1,300°C. The materials were characterised by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and ⁵⁷Fe Mossbauer spectroscopy (MS). Powders calcined at all temperatures comprised of Fe₂TiO₅, α-Fe₂O₃ and TiO₂ phases. Upon calcination at the elevated temperatures the powders underwent significant changes in grain size, the Fe₂TiO₅ phase increased to dominance, and Fe³⁺ and Ti⁴⁺ randomly occupied the two metal sites available in the Fe₂TiO₅ structure. However, α-Fe₂O₃ particulates were isolated inside hardened Fe₂TiO₅ grains. As a result, total solid state reaction was constrained and synthesis of pure Fe₂TiO₅ was incomplete.

Keywords: oxalate precursor; Mossbauer spectroscopy; ferric pseudobrookite; X-ray diffraction; XRD; grain size; nanoparticles; nanotechnology.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNP.2011.038246

International Journal of Nanoparticles, 2011 Vol.4 No.1, pp.2 - 9

Published online: 13 Mar 2015 *

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