Preparation of tetrapod-like ZnO whiskers from waste hot dipping zinc

Large and uniform tetrapod-like ZnO whiskers （T-ZnO） were prepared from waste hot dipping zinc by vapor oxidation and examined by means of X-ray diffraction and ICP-AES analysis and scanning electron microscope. The products are pure hexagonal wurtzite crystals with tetrapod shape and edge size of center body 56 μm and needle length of 100130 μm. The size and shape of ZnO particles are fully controlled by the growth conditions and T-ZnO can be obtained only at 8501 000 ℃ and total gas flow rate ranging from 40 to 250 L·h-1 in which the size of the T-ZnO particles varies slightly with temperature. The process of the formation of T-ZnO is that T-ZnO may nucleate at the initial stage with a complete tetrapod shape and develop to the large size, but not the process of （preferential） growth of octahedral nuclei and subsequent growth of the needles. The experiment presents a new method to prepare T-ZnO economically by using the waste hot dipping zinc.