Zirconia nanopowder synthesis via detonation of trinitrotoluene

Abstract

Zirconium (IV) oxide nanopowder was successfully synthesized through the detonation of a mixture composed of 2,4,6 trinitrotoluene (TNT, C7H5N306) and zirconium sulfate tetrahydrate (Zr(S04)2•4H20) as the energetic material and ceramic precursor, respectively. TNT, one of the most popular explosives, is a secondary energetic molecule and exhibits high stability and low sensitivity toward extemal stresses, making its handling safe. After detonation of the energetic material/ceramic precursor mixture and purification of the detonation soot, a crystallized zirconium oxide (Zr02) powder composed of nanosized particles with a spherical morphology was produced and analysed by the usual characterization techniques (X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and nitrogen physisorption). The reaction mechanism, con sidering the thermochemical aspect of the explosive, is offered. This approach could provide promising op portunities for the synthesis of various nano-sized oxide ceramic powders.

Zirconium preconcentration from zircon raffinate using gamma radiation–induced polymerization of reduced graphene oxide composite

“…For extracting ZrO 2 from zircon minerals, the bonds between ZrO 2 and SiO 2 must be broken either chemically or thermally. Numerous methods were used to separate ZrO 2 such as alkaline dissociation (Ma et al 2020 ; Lötter et al 2012 ), chlorination (Pechishcheva et al 2018 ), reduction (Choi and Yoon 2013 ), hydrothermal treatments (Ianos and Barvinschi 2010 ; Taylor and Meyer 2005 ), spray pyrolysis (Rainer et al 2022 ), zirconium oxychloride separation by crystallization (Poernomo et al 2020 ), and precipitation (Ma et al 2020 ; Chen et al 2015 ; Ao et al 2020 ; Gibot et al 2020 ).…”

Synthesis of Oxide Ceramics in Detonating Atmosphere

“…oxides were, thus, synthesized from energetic charges made of RDX or ammonium nitrate (AN, NH 4 NO 3 ) as detonative compounds mixed with metallic salts as ceramic sources [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. More recently, the TNT molecule was offered as an explosive source to synthesize zirconia nanopowder from polymer-coated zirconium sulfate tetra hydrate, and pure silicon carbide (SiC) nanoparticles were prepared by the detonation of a TNT/RDX energetic charge previously mixed with a preceramic polymer (polycarbosilane) [16,17].…”

“…Compared to the energetic materials most often used in such an approach, i.e., AN and RDX compounds that exhibit a high chemical sensitivity toward metallic species [18] and higher sensitivities to mechanical stimulus [19], respectively, the TNT molecule can be seen to be a safer alternative and is, therefore, of the highest interest. In addition in the present investigation, the experimental procedure has been significantly revised compared to [16] in order to drastically reduce the number of steps and then make it easier to implement. Two main changes, both highly time-consuming, were thus made, namely the removal of the use of a polymer additive (coated on the surface of the metal salt particles before mixing with the explosive molecule to avoid possible friction phenomena between ceramic and explosive particles during pressing step) and the temperature-controlled hydraulic pressing step which was replaced by a manual encapsulating of the as-prepared energetic mixture in a plastic tube (before detonation experiment).…”