Thermal decomposition of ktenasite

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to report preliminary data concerning the thermal behavior of the ktenasite based on analysis of decomposition processes and obtained products using combined thermal and XRD methods. The ktenasite was prepared by a chemical reaction between 1 g of ZnO powder and 10 ml 1M solution of CuSO4 with periodical steering at room tem¬perature for 7 days. The obtained suspension was filtered, washed with distilled water, and dried at room temperature. The thermal decomposition process of the ktenasite including different processes such as dehydration, dehydroxylation and evolving of SO2 and O2 is rather complicated due to the simultaneous presence of both copper and zinc in the system and this suggests further investigations to clarify the reaction mechanism of the process.