Low-Temperature Synthesis of Forsterite (Mg₂SiO₄) via Solid-State Reaction

Authors

  • Imene Amiour Faculty of Exact Science, Physics department, Laboratory of Condensed Matter Physics and Nanomaterials, Jijel University 18000, Algeria
  • Ferhat Bouzerara Faculty of Exact Science, Physics department, Laboratory of Condensed Matter Physics and Nanomaterials, Jijel University 18000, Algeria
  • Foudil Sahnoune Physics and Chemistry of Materials Lab, Faculty of Science, University Mohamed Boudiaf of M’sila, 28000, Algeria
  • Saleh M. Alluqmani Department of Physics, College of Sciences, Umm Al-Qura University, P.O. Box 715, Makkah 24382, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

In this study, ceramic forsterite was synthesized at low temperatures using amorphous silica and magnesium oxide powders derived from sodium disilicate and magnesium chloride hexahydrate, respectively. The influence of reaction temperature on forsterite formation was examined. The resulting powders were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), thermal analysis, and N₂ adsorption isotherms. The results show that the synthesized silica and magnesium oxide nanopowders have significant surface areas, with specific surface area (SSA) values of 148m²/g for silica at 200°C and 100m²/g for magnesium oxide at 600°C. XRD and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) indicate that forsterite forms at approximately 750°C, with high purity confirmed by XRD and EDS. This study demonstrates that using amorphous and fine particle raw materials promotes forsterite formation at lower temperatures than previously reported.

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Published

2026-09-12

Issue

Vol. 58 No. 3 (2026)

Section

Articles

License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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