Humidity controlled thermal analysis

The low temperature formation of crystalline zinc oxide via thermal decomposition of zinc acetylacetonate monohydrate C₁₀H₁₄O₄Zn·H₂O was studied by humidity controlled thermal analysis. The thermal decomposition was investigated by sample-controlled thermogravimetry (SCTG), thermogravimety combined with evolved gas analysis by mass spectrometry (TG-MS) and simultaneous differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffractometry (XRD-DSC). Decomposition of C₁₀H₁₄O₄Zn·H₂O in dry gas by linear heating began with dehydration around 60°C, followed by sublimation and decomposition above 100°C. SCTG was useful because the high-temperature parallel decompositions were inhibited. The decomposition changed with water vapor in the atmosphere. Formation of ZnO was promoted by increasing water vapor and could be synthesized at temperatures below 100°C. XRD-DSC equipped with a humidity generator revealed that C₁₀H₁₄O₄Zn·H₂O decomposed directly to the crystalline ZnO by reacting with water vapor.