High Quality and Yield in Potassium Titanate Whiskers Synthesized by Calcination from Hydrous Titania

Hydrous titanium dioxide (TiO 2 · n H 2 O) was used to prepare K 2 Ti 2 O 5 single crystals, K 2 Ti 4 O 9 whiskers and K 2 Ti 6 O 13 whiskers at 820°, 940°, and 1110°C, respectively, by calcination. At T < 820°C, dehydration of hydrous titania, decomposition of potassium carbonate, and reaction between titanate and potassium oxide occurred simultaneously, ending with a crystallization reaction of K 2 Ti 2 O 5 single crystals at 820°C. Subsequently, K 2 Ti 2 O 5 single crystals convert into K 2 Ti 4 O 9 whiskers at 940°C, and K 2 Ti 4 O 9 whiskers further convert into K 2 Ti 6 O 13 whiskers at 1110°C. The reaction temperatures for the generations of these types of potassium titanates were all 10°–40°C lower than the corresponding temperatures when anatase was used as the reactant. The whiskers synthesized in the present study exhibited uniform size, good morphology, and a high yield.