Formation of zirconium diboride nanoparticles as a result of reaction between zirconium tetrachloride and sodium borohydride

• Published in: Inorganic materials Vol. 53; no. 8; pp. 804 - 808
• Main Authors: Kravchenko, S. E., Burlakova, A. G., Domashnev, I. A., Nadkhina, S. E., Dremova, N. N., Vinokurov, A. A., Shilkin, S. P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Moscow Pleiades Publishing 01-08-2017; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Electron microscopy; Industrial Chemistry/Chemical Engineering; Inorganic Chemistry; Materials Science; Nanoparticles; Sodium; Specific surface; Surface area; X-ray diffraction; Zirconium; synthesis; zirconium tetrachloride; autoclave reactor; nanoparticles; ZrB; sodium borohydride
• ISSN: 0020-1685; 1608-3172
• DOI: 10.1134/S002016851708009X

We have studied reaction between ZrCl
4
and NaBH
4
at temperatures between 300 and 725°C. The results demonstrate that single-phase zirconium diboride nanoparticles are formed starting at 575°C. According to electron microscopy data, the ZrB
2
powder obtained at 575 and 725°C consists of variously shaped particles, some of which are almost spherical, ranging in diameter from ~10 to 20 and from 25 to 35 nm, respectively. These values agree with the equivalent particle diameters evaluated from the measured specific surface area of ZrB
2
, ~14 and ~32 nm, respectively, and with the crystallite size extracted from X-ray diffraction data:
D
hkl
~ 13 and 28 nm.