Preparation of MgO and Fe nanostructure in Mg matrix composite by reaction sintering

Abstract MgO, Fe and FeO were in situ formed in the Mg matrix when the green compact containing 20 wt% Fe3O4 was sintered at 450 °C. All the Fe3O4 phase in the sample were converted to Fe nanoparticle and MgO nanowire, and uniformly distributed in the Mg matrix at 630 °C. It is identified that the average size of Fe nanoparticle is about 50 nm, and the MgO nanowire is single crystals with a diameter of about 25 nm and a length of about 300 nm. The crystal growth of MgO nanowire is controlled by the VS mechanism. A model of in situ reactions and Gibbs free energy in the sample have been proposed and confirmed in the experiments. In our work, these newly in situ formed MgO nanowire and Fe nanoparticle can act as potential biocidal action materials for antibacterial properties. Meanwhile, they also improve the strength and CTE property in the sample. At final, the potential application of this Mg–MMC for electronic packaging materials has been discussed.