Zur Konstitution von ‚KPbO2’︁

On the Constitution of ‘KPbO₂’ Transparent, orangered single crystals of K₂Pb₂O₄ have been obtained by heating mixtures of K₂O₂ and PbO (K:Pb = 1:1) [Ag-cylinders, 560°C, 40 d, after cooling (15°C/h)]. The space group is P1 , a = 1295.94(9), b = 753.35(7), c = 697.12(8) pm, α = 118.00(1)°, β = 106.15(1)°, γ = 93.44(1)°, Z = 4, d_x = 6.573 und d_pyk = 6.54 g · cm³. The structure is characterized by rutilanalogous chains of edge-connected [PbO₆] octahedra along [001] according to [PbO_4/2O_2/1] = PbO₄. On both sides of such a chain there are respectively three O^2?, which belong to two octahedra, alternating capped with Pb²⁺ or not capped, corresponding to [PbO₄]Pb₂[PbO₄]□₂… = Pb₂O₄. Those capped chains are held together by K(1)…K(4), each of them with C.N. 6. The order of the chains corresponds to the motive of a closest packing. The Madelung Part of Lattice Energy, MAPLE, Effective Coordination Numbers, ECoN, these via Mean Fictive Ionic Radii, MEFIR, are calculated and discussed.     

XRD and thermal studies of AgI confined in nm-size pores by forming porous silica-AgI composites

To investigate the nm-size dependence of structural and thermal properties for AgI, the formation of composites between AgI and porous silica with controlled pore diameters of 10, 15, 30, and 50 nm was examined. The introduction of AgI within the micropores of the porous silica was performed successfully by a salt-bridge precipitation method with using AgNO₃ and KI aqueous solutions. The AgI formed within the micropores was identified to be β/γ-AgI, independent of the pore size of 10-50 nm, by powder X-ray diffractometry. In differential scanning calorimetry, the composites showed thermal anomaly at around 150°C on heating due to the phase transition from β/γ -AgI to α -AgI as in the case of bulk crystalline AgI (T _trs=147°C). However, the transition temperature from α-AgI to β/γ -AgI on cooling decreased remarkably with the decrease of the pore size from 50 to 10 nm. The result indicates the possibility for AgI particles with diameter less than 10 nm to exist as α -AgI even below 100°C. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Hysteresis in the β–α phase transition in silver iodide

The nature of the β to α phase transition in silver iodide was investigated by conventional and modulated temperature DSC and dielectric property measurements. On cooling, the high temperature phase remained stable 2.5°C below its normal transition temperature even at a very slow cooling rate 0.2°C h^–1. Dielectric property measurements under conventional and microwave heating suggested an anomalous effect of the latter on the β to α phase transition in this material.     

Following the crystallisation of Bi2Mo2O9 catalyst by combined XRD/QuEXAFS

The formation ofβ-phase Bi₂Mo₂O₉ catalyst from a precursor precipitate has been studied using thein situ combined XRD/QuEXAFS technique and DSC during calcination. Accordingly the precursor was observed to undergo a number of changes in both the molybdenum (VI) coordination and long-range ordering during this heating. Initially the two other forms of bismuth molybdate (α-andγ-phases) were observed to form from the poorly crystalline precursor at about 230°C, however, theβ-phase eventually crystallised after prolonged heating at 560°C. Dedicated to Professor C N R Rao on his 70th birthday     

Phase transition of YBO<Subscript>3</Subscript>

Yttrium orthoborate crystallizes in the vaterite-type structure and has two polymorphous forms, viz. a low- und a high temperature one. DTA measurements of YBO₃ confirmed a reversible phase transition with a large thermal hysteresis. The phase transition has been accurately characterized by the application of different heating and cooling rates (β). Consequently, the extrapolation of the experimental data to zero β yields the transition points at 986.9°C for the heating up and at 596.5°C for the cooling down cycle. These values correspond to samples just after treatment at 1350°C. For samples with a different ‘thermal history’ other phase transition temperatures are observed, (e.g. after having performed several heating and cooling cycles). The linear relationship between the associated DTA signal ΔT=T _onset–T _offset and the square root of the heating rate β was confirmed, but the relation between T _onset and square root of β is not found here. From the empirical data a good linear fitting between T _onset and ln(β+1) can be derived. From the kinetic analysis (Kissinger method) of the phase transformation of YBO₃ an apparent activation energy of about 1386 kJ mol^–1 for heating and of about 568 kJ mol^–1 for cooling can be determined     

EDTA assisted sol–gel synthesis of ZrW2O8

A novel sol–gel synthetic route using water-soluble precursor salts is presented as a synthetic path for a high-purity negative thermal expansion material, ZrW₂O₈. This synthetic route involves a sol–gel method with the use of EDTA as complexing agent. The aqueous solution is transformed into a ceramic material after a two-step heat treatment: gelation at 60 °C and reactive sintering at 1,180 °C. The decomposition of the gel is monitored with infrared spectroscopy and TGA. The high-temperature heat treatment results in ZrW₂O₈ with its characteristic negative thermal expansion behaviour α_{[75–130 °C]}: −9.8 ± 1.6 μm/m °C and α_{[175–300 °C]}: −1.2 ± 0.2 μm/m °C.     

Application of scanning calorimetry to estimate soil organic matter loss after fires

The severe heating of soil during wildfires and prescribed burns may result in adverse effects on soil fertility due to organic matter loss. No rapid and reliable procedure exists to evaluate soil organic matter (SOM) losses due to heating. Enthalpy of SOM combustion correlates with organic matter content. Quartz is a ubiquitous mineral in soils and has a remarkably constant composition and reversible α–β phase transition at 575 °C. We suggest that SOM content in heated and unheated soils can be compared using the ratio of SOM combustion enthalpy on heating to the β–α quartz transition enthalpy measured on cooling of the same sample. This eliminates the need to dry and weigh the samples, making possible field applications of the proposed method. The feasibility of using the (ΔH _{comb SOM})/(ΔH _β–α Qz) ratio was established with experiments on soil samples heated in the laboratory and the method was then used for evaluation of SOM loss on two pile burn sites at UC Berkeley’s Blodgett Forest Research Station in Georgetown, California.     

Research of thermal decomposition kinetic characteristic of emulsion explosive base containing Fe and Mn elements

The kinetic characteristic of thermal decomposition of the Emulsion Explosive Base Containing Fe and Mn elements (EEBCFM) which was used to prepare nano-MnFe₂O₄ particles via detonation method was investigated by means of non-isothermal DSC and TG methods at various heating rates of 2.5, 5 and 7.5°C min⁻¹respectively under the atmosphere of dynamic air from room temperature to 400°C. The results indicated that the EEBCFM was sensitive to temperature, especially to heating rate and could decompose at the temperature up to 60°C. The maximum speed of decomposition (dα/dT)_m at the heating rate of 5 and 7.5°C min⁻¹ was more than 10 times of that at 2.5°C min⁻¹ and nearly 10 times of that of the second-category coal mine permitted commercial emulsion explosive (SCPCEE). The plenty of metal ions could seriously reduce the thermal stability of emulsion explosive, and the decomposition reaction in the conversion degree range of 0.0∼0.6 was most probably controlled by nucleation and growth mechanism and the mechanism function could be described with Avrami-Erofeev equation with n=2. When the fractional extent of reaction α>0.6, the combustion of oil phase primarily controlled the decomposition reaction.     

Synthesis and thermal decomposition of lanthanide hexacyanochromate(iii) complexes,Ln[Cr(CN)6]·nH2O (Ln=La-Lu; n=3, 4)

New solid complex of nitrilotriacetic acid and bismuth trichloride was synthesized by a solid phase reaction of nitrilotriacetic acid and bismuth trichloride at room temperature. The composition of the sample is BiCl₃[N(CH₂COOH)₃]_2.5. The crystal structure of the complex belongs to triclinic system with the lattice parameters: α=0.7849 nm, β=0.9821 nm, χ=2.0021 nm, α=96.50°, β=98.76° and γ=90.49°. The far-infrared spectra show the bonding between the Bi ion and N atom of nitrilotriacetic acid. The thermal analysis also demonstrates the complex formation between the bismuth ion and nitrilotriacetic acid. The gaseous pyrolysis product and the final residue in the thermal decomposition process are determined to check the thermal decomposition reaction. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Kinetics of cordierite crystallization from diphasic gels

Diphasic cordierite gels were prepared from colloidal silica, aluminum and magnesium nitrates and citric acid. The mechanism of xerogel decomposition was studied by infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The thermal decomposition of the xerogel forms a solid mixture of MgO, Al₂O₃ and SiO₂ at around 250 °C. Cordierite crystallization was studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential thermal analysis (DTA). Xerogels were initially thermally treated, and this sample crystallized to μ-cordierite at 850 °C, at 900 °C α-cordierite crystallizes and at 1150 °C α-cordierite is the major phase and μ-cordierite is totally consumed. The apparent activation energy for cordierite crystallization process was determined based on the Johnson-Mehl-Avrami-Kolmogorov (JMAK) theory, Ligero methods and the Arrhenius law for dependence of activation energy with temperature. The apparent activation energy was (466.8 ± 34.3) kJ/mol, the exponent of Avrami was (1.9 ± 0.2) and the frequency factor was (1.55 × 10²⁰) s⁻¹. The Avrami value indicates a nucleation controlled process, which can be a consequence of the high xerogel homogeneity, a consequence of the early and simultaneous formation of the MgO, Al₂O₃ and SiO₂ mixture.     

Studying Cu2–xSe phase transformation through DSC examination

The thermal effect accompanying the transition of Cu_2–xSe into a superionic conduction state was studied by non-isothermal measurements, at different heating and cooling rates (β=1, 2.5, 5, 10 and 20°C min^–1). During heating the peak temperature (T_p) remains almost stable for all values of β, (136.8±0.4°C for Cu₂Se and 133.0±0.3°C for Cu_1.99Se). A gradual shift of the initiation of the transformation towards lower temperatures is observed, as the heating rate increases. During cooling there is a significant shift in the position of the peak maximum (T_p) towards lower temperatures with the increase of the cooling rate. A small hysteresis is observed, which increases with the increase of the cooling rate, β. The mean value of transformation enthalpy was found to be 30.3±0.8 J g^–1 for Cu₂Se and 28.9±0.9 J g^–1 for Cu_1.99Se. The transformation can be described kinetically by the model f(ǯ)=(1–ǯ)^n(1+kcatX), with activation energy E=175 kJ mol^–1, exponent value n equal to 0.2, logA=20 and log(k_cat)= 0.5.     

Impact of Pb substitution on the formation of high <Emphasis Type="Italic">T</Emphasis><Subscript>c</Subscript> superconducting phase in BSCCO system derived through sol-gel process

Sol-gel process was employed to synthesize the Pb-BSCCO system having general composition Bi_2−xPb_xSr₂Ca₂Cu₃O_10−δ, where x=0.2, 0.4 and 0.8. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), dilatometry and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) were employed to study the materials produced at different stages. Two-stage heating firstly at 300 and then 800°C was adopted in order to avoid the burning of the materials and formation of carbonates. The carbonate formation was avoided by heating the materials firstly at 300°C for 2 h and without intermediate cooling moved to the furnace having temperature 800°C and hold for 2 h. The sintering behaviour of samples was studied by dilatometry and the results revealed that the sample having x=0.4 was stabled up to a temperature of 700°C while samples having x=0.2 and 0.8 to a temperature of 625°C. The maximum shrinkage was observed at 850°C in all the samples. On the basis of dilatometry results, the samples were sintered at 845°C for 60 h to observe the superconducting phases. The highest volume fraction of high superconducting phase (2223) was noticed in the sample containing x=0.4 having onset T _c=110 K.     

β Phase transformations in the Cu–11mass%Al alloy with Ag additions

In the Cu–Al system, due to the sluggishness of the β ↔ (α + γ₁) eutectoid reaction, the β phase can be retained metastably. During quenching, metastable β alloys undergo a martensitic transformation to a β′ phase at Al low content. The ordering reaction β ↔ β₁ precedes the martensitic transformation. The influence of Ag additions on the reactions containing the β phase in the Cu–11mass%Al alloy was studied using differential scanning calorimetry and in situ X-ray diffractometry. The results indicated that, on cooling, two reactions are occurring in the same temperature range, the β → (α + γ₁) decomposition reaction and the β → β₁ reaction, with different reaction mechanisms (diffusive for the former and ordering for the latter) and, consequently, with different reaction rates. For lower cooling rates, the dominant is the decomposition reaction and for higher cooling rates the ordering reaction prevails. On heating, the (α + γ₁) → β reverse eutectoid reaction occurs with a resulting β phase saturated with α. The increase of Ag concentration retards the β → (α + γ₁) decomposition reaction and the β → β₁ ordering reaction, which occurs in the same temperature range, becomes the predominant process.     

Preparation of calcium plumbate via different route

Calcium plumbate Ca₂PbO₄ was prepared by sol–gel methods (Pechini complex route with two varieties and water soluble polymer method) and by solid state reaction. The sol–gel prepared samples contained calcium plumbate as the only one phase as early as after 2 h annealing at 800 °C. Phase composition was detected by XRD measurement and by Raman spectroscopy. The next annealing at 800 °C for 24 h induced weak Pb losses displayed by present CaO (according to phase equilibrium) and confirmed by XRF measurement. The Pb losses were smaller for the sol–gel prepared samples probably due to earlier formation of Ca₂PbO₄. Microstructure and grain size were also established. Sol–gel prepared samples had regularly distributed grains with a small distribution interval with median value in order of 1 μm. Differences in microstructure of solid state and sol–gel samples are presented on SEM micrographs.     

Synthesis and colour properties of pigments based on terbium-dopped Mg<Subscript>2</Subscript>SnO<Subscript>4</Subscript>

The main aim of this work was to synthesize the magnesium orthostannate doped by terbium cations and tested whether these materials can be used for colouring of the different materials, e.g. organic binder and ceramic glazes. Initial composition of pigments was counted according the general formula 2MgO(1 − x)SnO₂–xTbO₂, where values of x varied from 0.1 to 0.5 in 0.1 steps. The simultaneous TG/DTA measurements of mixture containing tin oxide, magnesium carbonate hydroxide and terbium oxide showed that the formation of a new compound started at temperature 1,029 °C, but single-phase system was not prepared. Granulometric compositions of samples that were prepared by calcining at temperatures 1,300–1,400 °C are characterized by values of median (d ₅₀) in range 4–8 μm. The calcining temperature 1,500 °C caused the increase of the particle sizes at around 12 μm. The composition of sample 2MgO–1.5SnO₂–0.5TbO₂ and heating temperature 1,500 °C are the most suitable conditions for preparation of colourfully interesting pigment that can be recommended also for colouring of ceramic glazes. Especially, for colouring of decorative lead containing glaze G 07091 containing 5 wt% of PbO and 8 wt% of Al₂O₃.     

Phase transformations of ammonium tungsten bronzes

This article discusses the formation and structure of ammonium tungsten bronzes, (NH₄) _x WO_3−y . As analytical tools, TG/DTA-MS, XRD, SEM, Raman, XPS, and ¹H-MAS NMR were used. The well-known α-hexagonal ammonium tungsten bronze (α-HATB, ICDD 42-0452) was thermally reduced and around 550 °C a hexagonal ammonium tungsten bronze formed, whose structure was similar to α-HATB, but the hexagonal channels were almost completely empty; thus, this phase was called reduced hexagonal (h-) WO₃. In contrast with earlier considerations, it was found that the oxidation state of W atoms influenced at least as much the cell parameters of α-HATB and h-WO₃, as the packing of the hexagonal channels. Between 600 and 650 °C reduced h-WO₃ transformed into another ammonium tungsten bronze, whose structure was disputed in the literature. It was found that the structure of this phase—called β-HATB, (NH₄)_0.001WO_2.79—was hexagonal.     

DSC study of the deposition reactions of zinc pack coatings up to 550°C

Zn pack coating formation takes place in three steps as differential scanning calorimetry shows. The initial step (at 193.9°C) is endothermic and involves the transformation of α-NH₄Cl to β-NH₄Cl and the NH₄Cl decomposition to NH₃ and HCl. During the second step (at 248.6°C), which is exothermic, Zn²⁺ salts are formed and most probably ZnCl₂. Finally at 264.1°C (endothermic reaction) it seems that ZnCl2 is decomposed to form Zn that is deposited on the ferrous substrate. The as-cast Zn diffuses in the iron substrate forming the gamma and delta phase of the Fe–Zn phase diagram. Al₂O₃ is not involved in the above-mentioned mechanism and acts only as filler.     

Processing and Characterization of Sol-Gel Derived Modified PbTiO3 for Ferroelectric Composite Applications

Powders of (Pb_0.8Ca_0.2)(Ti_0.99Mn_0.01)O₃ have been prepared by sol-gel processing. A tetragonal phase is formed after heat treatment at as low as 800°C. The tetragonality was found to be 1.053±0.005 and Curie temperature 315°C. Composite films with 0–3 connectivity were prepared from 800°C heat treated powders and P(VDF-TrFE) by the solvent casting technique. Composites poled at 20 MV/m, exhibited a pyroelectric coefficient of 17.4 μC/m²K and a pyroelectric figure of merit (FOM_p=p/ε) of 0.51 μC/m²K.     

Single-step sol-gel deposition and dielectric properties of 0.4 μm thick, (001) oriented Pb(Zr,Ti)O<Subscript>3</Subscript> thin films

Single-step sol–gel deposition was attempted for realizing submicron thick, (001) oriented Pb(Zr_0.53Ti_0.47)O₃ (PZT) thin films, using an alkoxide solution containing polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). A solution of molar composition, Pb(NO₃)₂:Zr(OC₃H₇ ⁿ)₄:Ti(OC₃H₇ ⁱ)₄:PVP:H₂O:CH₃COCH₂COCH₃:CH₃OC₂H₄OH:C₃H₇ ⁿOH = 1.1:0.53:0.47:0.5:5:0.5:22:0.98, was prepared as a coating solution. Gel films were prepared on Pt(111)/TiO₂/SiO₂/Si(100) substrates by spin-coating, and calcined at 350 °C and annealed at 650 °C either in an electric furnace or in a near-infrared (IR) furnace. When calcined in the near-IR furnace, the films became (001) oriented on annealing. When calcined in the electric furnace, on the other hand, the films became randomly oriented on annealing. These observations indicate that the heating the gel films from the substrate side in the calcination step at 350 °C induces crystallographic orientation in the annealing step at 650 °C. The effects of the heating methods on the thermal decomposition of the gel films, and the microstructure and dielectric properties of the fired films were studied. Finally 0.4 μm thick, (001) oriented PZT films could be successfully prepared by non-repetitive, single-step deposition. The oriented film thus obtained had the remnant polarization 2P _r of 39 μC/cm² and the dielectric constant ε′ of 960 ± 169.     

A temperature study on critical micellization concentration (CMC), solubility, and degree of counterion binding of α-sulfonatomyristic acid methyl ester in water by electroconductivity measurements

 For a sodium salt of α-sulfonatomyristic acid methyl ester (14SFNa), one of the α-SFMe series surfactants, critical micellization concentration (CMC), solubility and degree of counterion binding (β) were determined by means of electrocon-ductivity measurements at different temperatures (at every 5 °C) ranging from 15 to 50 °C. The phase diagram of 14SFNa in pure water was constructed from the CMC- and solubility-temperature data, in which the Krafft temperature (critical solution temperature) was found around 0 °C. The changes in the Gibbs energy, ΔG ⁰ _m, enthalpy, ΔH ⁰ _m, and entropy, ΔS ⁰ _m, upon micelle formation as a function of temperature were evaluated taking βvalues into calculation. Received: 28 August 1996 Accepted: 5 November 1996