Vanadium containing nanopigments of zircon as blue pigment
Scientists have describes a microwave-assisted polyol synthesis of V–ZrSiO4 nanoparticles and its use as a blue ceramic pigment.
During the study, a microwave-assisted polyol technique was used to synthesise vanadium-containing nanopigments of ZrSiO4. The influence of microwave power (300–900 W) and irradiation time (60–120 s) on the purity, crystallinity, and particle size of the synthesised nanoparticles was studied. Test results shows that the 300 W synthesised powder is composed of solid amorphous particles. The microwave power was increased to 900 W to convert all particles to crystalline nano-ZrSiO4. The experiment revealed the critical influence of irradiation time and microwave power on purity and crystallinity.
Blue pigment
The microwave effect can accelerate the reaction and the nucleation rate of ZrSiO4 at a lower reaction temperature. Structure and colorimetric studies have confirmed that a fully crystalline zircon phase can be obtained at 1100°C and can be used as a blue pigment.
The study has been published in Journal of Coatings Technology and Research, Volume 19, September 2022.
