Study on the Formation Process of Spindle β-FeOOH Particles

The formation process of spindle 2-FeOOH particles obtained through the hydrolysis of FeCl3 solutions has been investigated by means of TEM and XRD. The effect of surfactant-Hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide(CTAB) on this process has also been studied. The results show that growth of the needle-like pre-particles is based on the aggregation process, when there is no CTAB in the FeCl3 solution. Once CTAB was added, 2-FeOOH nuclies would grow up through the diffusion mechanism. The2-FeOOH particles were smaller and uniform under the effect of CTAB. The spindle and needle-like 2-FeOOH particles with different axis ratios can be synthesized by controlling the reaction parameters such as the concentration of the original FeCl3 solution and aging temperature.