Investigation of the morphological evolution of hydrothermally synthesized layered silinaite powders and their role on enhancing the mechanical properties of composites

Needle‐shaped stoichiometric silinaite powders were synthesized under hydrothermal conditions at 175 °C using sodium silicate and lithium nitrate as precursor materials. The effect of using precursor materials at different lithium:silicon ratios was examined using scanning electron microscopy and x‐ray diffraction methods. Additionally, the effect of the molarity of the precursor solution on the synthesized powders was also examined. The powder formation mechanisms of the obtained stoichiometric silinaite powders were revealed. The synthesized powders were also characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. Silinaite powders were obtained at a lithium:silicon ratio of 0.5. In order to obtain silinaite powders stoichiometrically, the molarity of the precursor solution must be high. It has been found that increasing the reaction time during the hydrothermal production of silinaite powders increases the aspect ratio of the resulting powders. When the reaction time increases, the powders’ diameters also increase, causing them to be sliced into longer and thinner powders. Polymer matrix composites were produced using stoichiometric silinaite powders as reinforcing elements. High stiffness and flexural modulus increases were obtained in the composites produced.