Metal Alkoxy-Derived Powders

The use of metal alkoxides to prepare high purity oxide powders is emphasized. Thermal and hydrolytic decomposition of metal alkoxides, M(OR)_n, have been employed to obtain submicron size <50nm single and mixed oxides powders. The alkoxy technique in powder synthesis allow the mixing of residual concentration of an alloying element to be done at something approaching the molecular level. The high surface activity associated with the alkoxy-derived powders make possible relatively low temperature processing of the powder compact to near theoretical density and uniform fine grain size bodies. Transmission electron microscopy, X-ray, ir, DTA and BET surface area measurement are used to show nucleation, crystallite growth and morphology as well as polymorphs of the oxide powder synthesized and microstructural features observed.