Mechanochemical synthesis of zinc ferrite from zinc oxide and α-Fe2O3

Mechanochemical synthesis of zinc ferrite (ZnFe2O4) from a powder mixture of zinc oxide (ZnO) and hematite (α-Fe2O3) by room temperature grinding using a planetary ball mill was investigated. The grinding enables us to obtain the amorphous mixture of the starting materials. Most of ZnO reacts with α-Fe2O3 to convert into insoluble amorphous zinc and iron compounds within 2h-grinding. Prolonged grinding enhances the crystallization of ZnFe2O4 from the amorphous compounds. ZnFe2O4 crystallized by the grinding for 3 h or more consists of nanocrystalline particles with high specific surface area.