Effect of different parameters on caustic magnesia hydration and magnesium hydroxide rheology: A Review

Magnesium oxide and magnesium hydroxide are two compounds that have favorable properties leading to their use in many industrial applications. This review discusses the methods of synthesizing magnesium oxide and magnesium hydroxide from dolomite, magnesite, brines and sea water by conventional methods as precipitation and hydration. The preparation methods of nano particles are via precipitation through sono-chemical, sol-gel and electrochemical methods or via hydration through solvothermal and hydrothermal methods. Also, the application of both magnesium oxide and magnesium hydroxide are discussed in this review. This review article provides also extensive information on the hydration process of magnesium oxide and the effect of different parameters including pH, temperature, surface area, particle size, hydrating agents and other parameters which affect the rheological behavior of Mg(OH)2. This review is a source of scientific as well as practical information on the applications of Mg(OH)2 and MgO at the present time and methods of obtaining them, in the light of available and applied research techniques and discoveries made to date in the field of advanced powder technology.