Microstructural characteristics of low-temperature (1400°C) sintered MgO obtained from seawater

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of a rinsing of Mg(OH)2 precipitated from seawater by substoichiometric precipitation (80% precipitation) and the addition of TiO2 on microstructural characteristics of the MgO obtained by sintering at low temperature (1400?C). The results of examination indicate that the method of rinsing of the magnesium hydroxide precipitate in the technological process of obtaining MgO from seawater significantly affects the chemical composition of samples, primarily with regard to the CaO and B2O3 content. The samples were doped with TiO2 to improve the evaporation of B2O3 and sintering of MgO samples that were characterized by XRD and SEM/EDS. These techniques confirmed the high purity of MgO samples obtained and the formation of secondary compounds in very small quantities that have a positive effect on the densification.