Low temperature synthesis and performance investigation of co-doped (Cr, Co)–ZrSiO4 ceramic pigments

Abstract

Abstract In this paper, a green (Cr, Co)-codoped ZrSiO4 pigment was successfully prepared with Li2CO3 as mineralizer via solid-state reaction method at low temperature. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimeter analysis, respectively. The XRD results reveal that the Li2CO3 as mineralizer can promote the formation of ZrSiO4 and decrease the synthesis temperature to 1000 °C that is 400–500 °C lower than the without mineralizer. The TG-DSC curve doped with Li2CO3 shows that zirconia and silica react to form zircon at 1000 °C. It is indicated that the Li2CO3 can reduce reaction activation energy and Si-O bond degree to promote zircon formation. After calcining at 1000 °C for 2h, the intensity of the colour in the samples varies from light green to dark green, depending on the co-doping content. The sample with 8mol% (Co, Cr) particles exhibit brilliant green (a*=-19.33), the value of a* is almost as good as commercial pigments, which indicates it is a potential candidate for ceramic pigments application. More importantly, the preparation method has the advantages such as reduce color ion doping, simplicity of process, and can also be used for preparing other zircon-based high-temperature colorants.