Preparation of aluminum nitride powder from aluminum chloride/ethylenediamine precursor

Aluminum nitride powder was prepared by calcination of an organic precursor , which was synthesized by adding aluminum chloride powder in an ethylenedi amine solvent in a dry N-2 atmosphere. It was confirmed from X-ray diffract ion analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy that amorphous and hexagonal AIN powders formed from the precursor after calcination at 800 a nd 1200 degreesC for 5 h in flowing dry N-2, respectively. Scanning electro n microscopic observation revealed that the AIN crystallites obtained at 12 00 degreesC were less than 25 nm in diameter, though they easily agglomerat ed to form large grains of 60-100 mum. The particle size was comparable to the crystallite size (approximate to 17.5 nm) calculated from the half widt h of the XRD (100) peak.