Non-isothermal kinetic study on the decomposition of Zn acetate-based Sol-gel precursor - Part 1. Application of the isoconversional methods

The isoconversional methods (Friedman (FR), Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (FWO) and Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS)) were applied for evaluating the dependencies of the activation energy (E) on the mass loss (Delta m) corresponding to the non-isothermal decomposition of two Zn acetate-based gel precursors for ZnO thin films whose preparation differs by the drying temperature of the liquid sol-precursor (125 degrees C for sample A, and 150 degrees C for sample B). Although both investigated samples exhibit similar decomposition steps, strong differences between E vs. Delta m curves as well as among the characteristic parameters of the decomposition steps, directly evaluated from TG, DTG and DTA curves, were put in evidence.