Kinetic and characterization studies of the formation of barium monomolybdate in equimolar powder mixture of BaCO3 and MoO3

The formation of barium monomolybdate (BaMoO4) in equimolar powder mixtures of BaCO3 and MoO3 was examined under isothermal and nonisothermal conditions upon heating in air at 25-1200 degreesC, using thermogravimetry. Concurrence of the observed mass loss (due to the release of CO2) to the occurrence of the formation reaction was evident. Accordingly, the extent of reaction (x) was determined as a function of time (t) or temperature (T). The x-t and x-T data thus obtained were processed using a well-established mathematical apparatus and methods to characterize the nature of the reaction rate-determining step and derive isothermal and nonisothermal kinetic parameters (rate constant, frequency factor, reaction order, and activation energy). Moreover, the reaction mixture quenched at various temperatures (450-575 degreesC) in the reaction course was analyzed by various spectroscopic (x-ray diffractometry, infrared spectroscopy, and laser Raman spectroscopy) and microscopic (scanning electron microscopy and x-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy) techniques for material characterization. The results obtained indicated that the reaction rate may be controlled by unidirectional diffusion of MoO3 species through the product layer (BaMoO4), which was implied to form on the barium carbonate particles. The nonisothermally determined activation energy (156 kJ/mol) was found to be close to the isothermally determined one (164-166 kJ/mol).