Zirconium nanoparticles prepared by the reduction of zirconium oxide using the RAPET method

• Michal Eshed,
• Swati Pol,
• Aharon Gedanken and
• Mahalingam Balasubramanian

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2011, 2, 198–203, doi:10.3762/bjnano.2.23

• production of explosive materials for munitions. In this paper we report the successful synthesis of metallic Zr nanoparticles. The reaction is carried out by reacting zirconia with magnesium at 750 °C in a closed Let-Lok® cell. We have named this process RAPET (Reaction under Autogenic Pressure at Elevated

• nm. These numbers show that there is no change in the particle size during the reaction that the zirconia undergoes. In addition, TEM measurements were carried out on the precursor (Figure 4a) and the product (Figure 4b). While it is clear that agglomeration takes place as a result of nanoparticle

• zirconium nanoparticles with an average size of 63 nm by reducing zirconia at 750 °C. The TEM images show particles without a specific shape and the XRD measurements indicate that the product was metallic Zr without any traces of the by-product, MgO. Distinct peaks of the starting material, ZrO2, are not