Thermal transformation of quaternary compounds in NaF–CaF2–AlF3 system

Details of quaternary compounds formation in the system NaF–CaF₂–AlF₃ are specified. To achieve this aim, the samples of phases NaCaAlF₆ and Na₂Ca₃Al₂F₁₄ have been obtained by high-temperature solid-phase synthesis. Their thermal behavior when heated up to 800 °C has been studied using the methods of high-temperature X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermal analysis (TA). The system under consideration can be regarded as a quasibinary section CaF₂–NaAlF₄, where at T=745–750 °C invariant equilibrium is implemented with the phases CaF₂–NaCaAlF₆–Na₂Ca₃Al₂F₁₄–(liquid melt)–(NaAlF₄). The peculiarity of the equilibrium is NaAlF₄ metastability at normal pressure. Below the equilibrium temperature the quaternary phase Na₂Ca₃Al₂F₁₄ is stable and NaCaAlF₆ above this temperature. The phase NaCaAlF₆ fixed by rapid quenching from high temperatures and when heated up to 640 °C decomposes, yielding Na₂Ca₃Al₂F₁₄. Further heating in vacuum at temperature up to 740 °C results in decomposition of Na₂Ca₃Al₂F₁₄ into CaF₂ and Na₃AlF₆. The expected reverse transformation of Na₂Ca₃Al₂F₁₄ into NaCaAlF₆ has not been observed under experimental conditions. Transformations in bulk samples reveal direct and reverse transformation of quaternary phases.

Synopsis

Thermal transformation of the quaternary compounds in system (NaF–CaF₂–AlF₃) was investigated using high-temperature X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermal analysis (TA). In the system the invariant equilibrium is implemented with the phases CaF₂–NaCaAlF₆–Na₂Ca₃Al₂F₁₄–(liquid melt)–(NaAlF₄) at T=745–750 °C.