Influence of metal ions on the formation of artificial zinc rusts

The artificial rust particles were prepared from ZnCl 2 solutions dissolving Al(III), Fe(III), Fe(II), Ni(II), Co(II) and Mg(II) at different atomic ratios from 0 to 0.3 in metal/Zn. With increasing metal/Zn the crystal phases of the products turned following as ZnO → a mixture of ZnO and Zn 5 (OH) 8 Cl 2 · H 2 O (ZHC) → ZHC. Al(III) most facilitated the formation of ZHC but Mg(II) and Fe(III) produced no ZHC. The morphology of the formed particles varied following as agglomerate → fine → rod → sheet → irregular with the increase of metal/Zn. The sheet and irregularly shaped particles were identified as ZHC and the other particles as ZnO.