Mechanochemical synthesis of layered double hydroxides

Abstract

Hydrotalcite-like layered double hydroxide was successfully synthesised from metal oxides and hydroxides using a horizontal bead mill and was identified as a mixture of hydrotalcite and meixnerite. The final thermally aged material that was milled for three hours has a particle size distribution in the range 0.5µm to 12µm. XRD and FTIR both suggest that the synthesised material is phase-pure LDH but the amorphous halo present in the XRD results suggests that an amorphous compound is present as a contaminant.