Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Ceramics International, 2025 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
In this study, the cobalt-based blue pigment was synthesized using raw diatomite, silica aerogel synthesized from diatomite, and commercial nano SiO2. The precipitates prepared by the sol-gel method were calcined at 1100 °C to form powder pigments. The morphological properties and chemical composition of the obtained pigments were revealed by SEM-EDX analysis. The elemental and compositional composition of all three samples consisted of cobalt, zinc, silica, oxygen, and carbon. XRD analysis showed that the pigments exhibited a highly crystalline structure and the presence of the characteristic Co-willemite (CoxZn2-xSiO4) phase. FT-IR results confirmed the presence of Si, Co, and Zn compounds. According to their positions in CIELab color space, the pigment obtained from diatomite aerogel exhibited the darkest hue and the most vivid color saturation (L∗a∗b∗ 63.52, 3.22, −13.33) and the brightest surface (74.5 GU at 60° angle). The results reveal that different physical forms of silica sources will form pigment with different optical performance. For diatomite aerogel pigment, the low refractive index of the aerogel structure makes it possible to obtain bright and saturated colors. Raw diatomite pigment is thought to be a cost-effective alternative for matte and functional applications such as interior paint. Thanks to the use of natural resources as silica sources during the synthesis and the potential applications of aerogels, a high-performance, economical, and alternative pigment has been developed.