Synthesis of magnesium-based binary powders with high reactivity using a coprecipitation method

The solid-phase reaction method for preparing forsterite (Mg 2 SiO 4 ) using the MgO and SiO 2 powders has the disadvantages of high reaction temperature, long reaction time, and inhomogeneous reaction depending on the particle size of MgO. Therefore, MgO-based powders with a high reactivity were synthesized using a coprecipitation method with substitutional elements (Mn or Ni), and the effects of processing parameters on synthesizing MgO-based binary composition powders were investigated through the particle characteristics. The crystal structure was changed continuously with the contents and species of substitutional elements, showing the same trend as the atomistic simulation results. The MgO-based powders showed a higher reactivity than the conventional MgO powder, which could be confirmed in the particle characteristics, such as particle size and crystallinity, obtained in a short reaction time and at a relatively low temperature. The optimum composition ratio in the binary composition powder for forming the Mg 2 SiO 4 depended on the type of substitutional element, and the reaction mechanism was identified based on the particle characteristics. Graphical abstract A single phase is formed due to X-ray blocking as a thick reaction layer is formed on the spherical silica by uniformly reacting with silica by the addition of manganese.