Effects of pH and temperature of coprecipitation and thermal treatment on some physicochemical, surface and catalytic properties of nano-sized zinc ferrite

ABSTRACT

Zinc ferrite nanoparticles were prepared via thermal treatment of zinc-iron mixed hydroxides at 400-600 [degree sign] C. The mixed hydroxides were coprecipitated from their nitrates solutions using NaOH as precipitating agent. The effects of pH and temperature of coprecipitation and calcination temperature on some physicochemical, surface and catalytic properties of the prepared ferrites were studied. The prepared systems were characterized using TG, DTG, DTA, chemical analysis, atomic absorption spectroscopy [AAS], X-ray diffraction [XRD], energy dispersive X-ray [EDX] as well as texture properties based on nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms. The results revealed that solid- solid interaction between ZnO and Fe[2]O[3] took place at temperature starting from 400[degree sign] C to produce ZnFe[2]O[3] phase. The surface and catalytic properties of the produced ferrite phase were strongly dependent on coprecipitation conditions of the mixed hydroxides and on their calcinations temperature