A novel process for the synthesis of lithium aluminum silicate powders from rice husk ash and other water-based precursor materials

Lithium aluminum silicate (LAS) powders were synthesized through sol-gel technique by utilizing agro-based `waste' material-rice husk ash and other water-based precursor materials. The gel and oxide powders were characterized by thermogravimetry (TG), differential thermal analysis (DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). DTA, XRD and FTIR results confirmed that crystallization of lithium aluminum silicate in the form of beta-eucryptite and P-spodumene took place at about 800 degreesC. Furthermore, XRD and FTIR results showed that a substantial crystallization of beta-eucryptite for the composition Li2O.Al2O3.2SiO(2) (LA2S) and that of beta-spodumene for the composition Li2O.Al2O3.4SiO(2) (LA4S) occurred at 1000 degreesC. A cobble-stone-like shaped particles of beta-eucryptite and p-spodumene were examined by SEM. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved