Synthesis, characterization and application of submicron ZrSiO4 powder via sol-gel-microemulsion-hydrothermal method

High-performance submicron ZrSiO 4 powder is prepared by a sol-gel-microemulsion-hydrothermal method (S-G-M-H). In this method, the transformation from sol to gel is constrained in the droplets of the microemulsion and accelerated by the hydrothermal process. The interface change of sol/oil to gel/oil makes the emulsion automatic demulsificate without demulsifiers, which means that the organic solvents can be recycled. The preparation process is low-cost and environmentally friendly. The results show that the synthesized ZrSiO 4 powder owns the optimized median diameter (D50) of 0.67 μm under the optimized preparation condition of hydrothermal treatment at 150 °C for 7 h. The ZrSiO 4 particles are the agglomeration of the primary particles with a size of about 100 nm. As an opacifier , 15 wt% submicron ZrSiO 4 powder added give a whiteness value of 85 to the opaque glaze, which is significantly better than commercial ZrSiO 4 powder with the same amount added. Meanwhile, the obtained submicron powder has excellent sintering activity. After sintered at 1300 °C for 2 h, the ZrSiO 4 pellets has the density of 4.32 g cm −3 and the porosity of 0.31%.