Eur. Phys. J. Appl. Phys. 97, 90 (2022)
https://doi.org/10.1051/epjap/2022220073

Regular Article

Synthesis and properties of pyrrhotite ash based cubical α-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles

¹ Laboratoire de Chimie Organique Bioorganique et Environnement, Faculté de Sciences, Université Chouaib Doukkali, 24 000 El Jadida, Morocco
² Laboratory of Engineer Science for Energy, National Engineering School of Applied Sciences, Chouaib Doukkali University, 24 000 El Jadida, Morocco
³ Sultan Moulay Slimane University, Laboratory of Chemistry, Mathematical and Environmental Sciences, Polydisciplinary Faculty, 25 000 Khouribga, Morocco
⁴ Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University Marrakech, Marrakesh, Morocco

^* e-mail: Pr.M.Bakasse@gmail.com; minabakasse@yahoo.fr

Received: 19 March 2022
Received in final form: 19 August 2022
Accepted: 17 October 2022
Published online: 26 December 2022

Abstract

Pyrrhotite ash is a solid waste widely generated from the phosphate industry and has been used in this present research as a source material for α-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles synthesis. The iron extraction conditions from pyrrhotite ash using hydrochloric acid were carried out under the optimized conditions. The obtained FeCl₃ was deployed in the elaboration of hematite (α-Fe₂O₃) nanoparticles using the co-precipitation method where green tea extract was deployed as a reducer and capping agent. The prepared α-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles were characterized by XRD, SEM, FTIR and BET techniques. The prepared sample consists of cubical or spherical microporous nanoparticles with sizes ranging from 56 to 116 nm and average pore size of 0.78 nm. The elaborated nanoparticles are of high purity having a crystalline size ranged from 18.33 to 24.55 nm. The optical properties were investigated using UV–visible spectroscopy, the maximum visible light absorbance was observed at 350 nm while the corresponding gap band was determined as 2.11 eV. Furthermore, the Vibrating-sample magnetometer was used to examine the magnetic properties of the nanoparticles that appropriate a ferromagnetic behaviour with high Ms, Mr, and Hc values of 14.59 emu/g and 4.72 emu/g −769.35 Oe.