Effect of modifying agents on the hydrophobicity and yield of zinc borate synthesized by zinc oxide

The aim of this study was to synthesize zinc borate using zinc oxide, reference boric acid, and reference zinc borate (reference ZB) as the seed, and to investigate the effects of modifying agents and reaction parameters on the hydrophobicity and yield, respectively. The reaction parameters include reaction time (1–5 h), reactant ratio (H3BO3/ZnO by mass: 2–5), seed ratio (seed crystal/(H3BO3+ZnO) by mass: 0–2wt%), reaction temperature (50–120°C), cooling temperature (10–80°C), and stirring rate (400–700 r/min); the modifying agents involve propylene glycol (PG, 0–6wt%), kerosene (1wt%–6wt%), and oleic acid (OA, 1wt%–6wt%) with solvents (isopropyl alcohol (IPA), ethanol, and methanol). The results of reaction yield obtained from either magnetically or mechanically stirred systems were compared. Zinc borate produced was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and contact angle tests to identify the hydrophobicity. In conclusion, zinc borate is synthesized successfully under the optimized reaction conditions, and the different modifying agents with various solvents affect the hydrophobicity of zinc borate.