| Editors: | F. Kongoli, P. Assis, H.A.C. Lopera, S. Diaz, S.N. Monteiro, V.S. Candido |
| Publisher: | Flogen Star OUTREACH |
| Publication Year: | 2025 |
| Pages: | 316 pages |
| ISBN: | 978-1-998384-46-4 (CD) |
| ISSN: | 2291-1227 (Metals and Materials Processing in a Clean Environment Series) |
Potassium ferrite was synthesized through the sol-gel auto-combustion [1] chemical route, aiming to evaluate the influence of calcination temperature on the formation of crystalline phases. The obtained samples were subjected to calcination temperatures of 0°C (post-combustion), 300°C, 550°C, 750°C, and 950°C. Structural characterizations were performed using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), where the crystallite size was calculated from the most intense peak at each calcination temperature using the Scherrer equation [2]. Micrographs were also obtained to assess grain size, along with analyses by Mössbauer Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and Raman Spectroscopy. The results demonstrated that the synthesis of potassium ferrite was successful; however, an increasing formation of additional phases of potassium ferrite and magnetite was observed with rising calcination temperatures. Therefore, it is concluded that the sol-gel auto-combustion method is not recommended for applications requiring a specific crystalline phase predominance, due to the simultaneous generation of secondary phases with higher thermal treatment temperatures [3]. Additionally, as the temperature increased, a reduction in grain size was observed, attributed to the combustion of residual fuel traces.