New method presented for production of Alpha SiAlON single phase nanopowder

Iranian researchers from Tarbiat Modarres University presented a simple and new method for the production of advanced nitride ceramics with complicated chemical composition. Pieces made of the synthesized nanopowder have various applications in petroleum and petrochemical industries, automobile fabrication, extraction of non-iron metals, and paper fabrication. In this research, aqueous solution of calcium nitrate and aluminum nitrate salts were added with colloid silicon at defined molar ratio to obtain alpha SiAlON with chemical composition of Ca1Si9Al3O1N15. Polymerization of acrylamide and methylene bis(acrylamide) monomers were used in aqueous media to create an appropriate bed for the elements existing in chemical composition of alpha SiAlON. A polymeric gel was obtained when the monomer mixture was added to the aqueous solution containing the desired metallic ions through a polymerization process. Alpha SiAlON crystals were 30-60 nm in size in this research. Researchers also sintered some pieces by using the synthesized nanopowder to study their resistant to abrasion. Results of the study showed that the weight reduction in the pieces caused by abrasion by using steel pin after 1000 m of abrasion was merely 39 mg. Among the applications of the new product, mention can be made of the production of pieces such as fireproof utensils and thermocouple protecting sheets in non-iron metals industries, hydrocyclones that separate sand from oil, mechanical sealing objects, production of faucets that measure flow rate of corrosive and acidic liquids, water adsorbent foils in paper fabrication industry. Results of the research have been published in April 2013 in Ceramics International, vol. 39, issue 3, pp. 3321-3327.