This study describes the preparation and characterization of MgAl2O4 spinel ceramic powders by a polyacrylamide gel method with Al(NO3)(3)center dot 9H(2)O and Mg(NO3)(3)center dot 6H(2)O as the raw materials, acrylamide as the monomer, N,N-mehtylenebisacrylamide as the cross-linking agent, and deionized water as the solvent. The nanopowders were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and a transmission electron microscope (TEM). The results showed that the nanopowders having a typical spinet structure are ultrapure and nano-sized. Due to the hindering effect of the polyacrylamide network, the average grain size of the MgAl2O4 spinel is approximately 20 nm. Moreover, it is confirmed that the optimal sintering temperature for synthesizing the MgAl2O4 spinel ceramic nanopowders is 900 degrees C, which is about 600-1000 degrees C lower than that of the traditional solid-state method.

Keywords: polyacrylamide; network gel; spinel; nanopowders