Effect of water vapor on the thermal decomposition process of zinc hydroxide chloride and crystal growth of zinc oxide

Thermal decomposition process of zinc hydroxide chloride (ZHC), Zn₅(OH)₈Cl₂·H₂O, prepared by a hydrothermal slow-cooling method has been investigated by simultaneous X-ray diffractometry and differential scanning calorimetry (XRD-DSC) and thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA) in a humidity-controlled atmosphere. ZHC was decomposed to ZnO through β-Zn(OH)Cl as the intermediate phase, leaving amorphous hydrated ZnCl₂. In humid N₂ with P_H2O=4.5 and 10 kPa, the hydrolysis of residual ZnCl₂ was accelerated and the theoretical amount of ZnO was obtained at lower temperatures than in dry N₂, whereas significant weight loss was caused by vaporization of residual ZnCl₂ in dry N₂. ZnO formed by calcinations in a stagnant air atmosphere had the same morphology of the original ZHC crystals and consisted of the c-axis oriented column-like particle arrays. On the other hand, preferred orientation of ZnO was inhibited in the case of calcinations in 100% water vapor. A detailed thermal decomposition process of ZHC and the effect of water vapor on the crystal growth of ZnO are discussed.