Effect of succinic acid on morphology transformation of the anhydrous magnesium carbonate particles prepared by magnesium chloride hexahydrate and urea

The homogeneous and controllable morphology of anhydrous magnesium carbonate (MgCO3) particles with excellent properties is difficult to obtain because of a variety of synthetic factors. The effect of succinic acid as a crystal modifier on the particle morphology transformation of anhydrous MgCO3 was investigated by the hydrothermal method. The effect of the addition of succinic acid on the particles was similar to that of temperature change. The morphology of particles with a folded diamond-like shape was gradually uniform, and the particle size was between 3.3 and 7.5 μm. Anhydrous MgCO3 particles prepared at pH 9 could easily agglomerate, and the average particle size increased from diamond-like to cube-like as the reaction time increased. The interaction between succinic acid and magnesium ions at different concentrations was the main factor responsible for the morphological changes. The pH, temperature, and time affected the molecular motion rate and crystal growth.