Synthesis and characterization of magnesium nitride powder formed by Mg direct reaction with N2

Abstract Mg 3 N 2 powder of high quality has been synthesized by the direct nitridation reaction of Mg powder with N 2 gas in 1.0 l/min for 60 min at a temperature between 650 °C and 800 °C. Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential thermal analysis (DTA) were employed to investigate the thermal nitridation behavior of Mg powder. X-ray diffraction (XRD) indicates that Mg 3 N 2 powder has a cubic structure with a lattice constant a  = 0.997 nm. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of Mg 3 N 2 powder show that Mg 3 N 2 powder is of a rod-like structure. The Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) spectra indicate a high quality of the Mg 3 N 2 powder fabricated in this way.