PREPARATION OF FERRIC OXIDE FINE PARTICLES IN MICROEMULSION

Abstract

Ferric oxide has been widely used in the fields of information storage system, pigments, and UV-interceptor. Ultrafine ferric oxide particles were prepared by forced hydrolysis in AOT-based reverse microemulsions containing ferric salt. Reverse microemulsion consist of nanometer-sized water droplets dispersed in a continuous oil medium was aged at elevated temperature. The effects of the anions presented in microemulsion system as well as the calcination temperature on the characteristics of the resulting particles are investigated and compared with those obtained from forced hydrolysis in homogeneous solution. Ferric oxide particles formed in microemulsion system showed difference in size, morphology, and size distribution from those prepared in homogeneous solutions. The size and the morphology of the particles were characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM). The crystallinity of the ferric oxide were confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD).