High-Tc superconductivity in the ErBaCuO and related systems

ErBa₂Cu₃O₇ and Er_0.5Y_0.5Ba₂Cu₃O₇ are both high-T_c superconductors attaining zero resistance above 80 K. Preliminary studies indicate that Yb_1−xY_xBa₂Cu₃O₇ also exhibits zero resistance above 77 K.     

New oxyborates in the MgMnBO system

Two new oxyborate compounds were synthesized during a study of the phase relationships between the pinakiolite-ludwigite series of compounds. The structural topologies of these previously unreported materials have been determined experimentally by comparing calculated with observed electron microscope images. Both of these structures are very similar to each other, and also closely related to pinakiolite which consists of flat walls of edge-sharing octahedra connected to zigzag chains of octahedra by triangular BO₃ groups. The two new structures contain similar infinite walls which are separated by slabs of octahedra that are wider than the zigzag chains found in pinakiolite. A new series of structurally related oxyborate compounds can be envisaged and are described.     

Calorimetric studies of CeCu AND CeMgCu alloys

Using different calorimeters, the following measurements have been carried out.

• 1.(i) The integral enthalpies of mixing of CeCu binary and some CeMgCu ternary liquid alloys,
• 2.(ii) The enthalpy of formation and the enthalpy of melting of the intermetallic compound CeCu₂.
• 3.(iii) The heat content of solid and liquid CeCu₂.

The observed concentration and temperature dependence of the measured values of the enthalpies of mixing as well as the glass-forming abilities of these alloys are explained on the basis of an association model.     

Phase equilibrium diagram of the system MnCrO

A hypothetical oxygen pressure-composition phase diagram and a projection of the oxygen pressure-temperature-composition diagram on the composition triangle were constructed from phase equilibria in the system MnCrO on the basis of the data available in literature. The temperature-composition phase equilibrium diagram of this same system in air was specified. Isomorphism of solid solutions with spinel and hausmannite structure and their intertransformation was studied. Two chemical compounds, MnCr₂O₄ and Cr₄Mn₂₈O₄₈, are supposed to exist in the system.     

Phase diagram for the system Bi2O3CaOSrOCuO in the SrO-rich region

It has been found experimentally that phase diagram for the system Bi₂O₃CaOSrOCuO in SrO-rich region at 850°C in the open air includes three elementary tetrahedra: CaOSrOSr₆Bi₂O₁₁Sr₂CuO₃, CaOSr₂CuO₃Sr₆Bi₂O₁₁Sr_3,5Ca_0,5Bi₂O₇ and Sr₃Bi₂O₆Sr₆Bi₂O₁₁Sr_3,5Ca_0,5Bi₂O₇ Sr₂CuO₃. In the considered interval of corresponding oxide concentrations quaternary oxides are not formed under the above conditions.     

Compound and solid-solution formation in the system Li2ONb2O5TiO2

A systematic study of compound and solid-solution formation in the system Li₂ONb₂O₅TiO₂ has been made. Several solid-solution series, based on LiNbO₃, LiNb₃O₈, Li₂Nb₂₈O₇₁, Li₂TiO₃, phase M, Li₂Ti₃O₇, and TiO₂, have been characterized. In all cases, the principal solid-solution mechanism appears to involve stoichiometric formulae with constant overall cation content. One new phase, of approximate formula Li₁₃TiNb₅O₂₁, has been prepared. A subsolidus phase diagram for the ternary system is presented.     

Determination of the copper activity of liquid CuLa alloys

The thermodynamic activities of liquid CuLa alloys were obtained at 1549 K by Knudsen effusion experiments. The experimentally known concentration and temperature dependences of thermodynamic properties of liquid CuLa alloys are explained on the basis of an association model. These results are discussed in comparison with the enthalpy of crystallization and the crystallization temperature as well as the enthalpy of melting and the melting temperature of lanthanum-rich glassy and crystalline alloys respectively.     

Thermodynamics of the URuC system

Thermodynamic measurements by the electromotive force method were made on the binary intermetallic phases URu₃ and U₃Ru₅ and on the ternary carbides URu₃C_0.7 and U₂RuC₂ of the URu and the URuC systems between 950 and 1200 K using galvanic cells with CaF₂ single crystal electrolytes: U, UF₃¦CaF₂¦UF₃, URu₃, Ru; U, UF₃¦CaF₂¦UF₃, U₃Ru₅, URu₃; Ru, URu₃, UF₃¦CaF₂¦UF₃, URu₃C_0.7, Ru, C; U, UF₃¦CaF₂¦UF₃, URu₃C_0.7, U₂RuC₂, C. The Gibbs energies of formation of URu₃, U₃Ru₅, URu₃C_0.7 and U₂RuC₂ were evaluated from the measured electromotive force which give ^fΔG^o〈URu₃〉 = −199 100 + 35.9 T J mol^−1fΔG^o〈U₃Ru₅〉 = −398 600 + 43.6 T J mol^−1fΔG^o〈URu₃C_0.7〉 = −192 600 + 2.5 T J mol^−1fΔG^o〈U₂RuC₂〉 = −380 200 + 52.5 T J mol⁻¹ The implications of these thermodynamic data for the behaviour of the fission product ruthenium in irradiated carbide fuels are discussed.     

An investigation of the low oxidation state chemistry of rhenium in the BaOReRe2O7 phase diagram

The first systematic survey of the BaOReRe₂O₇ phase diagram is reported, with emphasis on the reduced ternary oxides. At 800°C, the previously reported compounds Ba₃Re₂O₉, Ba₂ReO₅, and Ba₃ReO₆ were observed, all of which contain Re(VI) in ReO₆ octahedra. The stability of these phases is apparently due to ReO π-bonding in and between the octahedra. The previously unknown structure of Ba₂ReO₅ was determined by powder neutron diffraction and found to be isotypic with that of K₂VO₂F₃ (space group Pnma), with a = 7.3233(2), b = 5.7745(1), and c = 11.4124(2), Å. ReO₆ octahedra share adjacent corners to produce cis chains which are held together by 10 coordinated Ba atoms.     

An investigation of the polythermal diagram of the H2ONa2HPO4Na2SO4 system

The polythermal diagram of the ternary system H₂ONa₂HPO₄Na₂SO₄ has been established, setting up nine isotherms obtained between 0 and 25°C by conductimetric analysis. The solubility domains of the various solid phases have been determined. One eutectic, three stable and one metastable transitional transformations have been observed. Temperature and composition of the eutectic point have been obtained by thermal analysis at constant flow.     

Phase equilibria in the ternary system: MgONa2OP2O5: Partial system: Mg3(PO4)2Mg4Na(PO4)3Na4P2O7Mg2P2O7

The partial system Mg₃(PO₄)₂Mg₄Na(PO₄)₃Na₄P₂O₇Mg₂P₂O₇ in the ternary system MgONa₂OP₂O₅ was investigated using thermal and X-ray diffraction analyses and microscopy, and its phase diagram has been determined. In this range of composition, two binary phosphates occur: Mg₄Na(PO₄)₃ and Mg₆Na₈(P₂O₇)₅. The former melts incongruently (at 1155°C) and the latter does congruently (at 808°C). In the partial system of interest, the two sections Mg₄Na(PO₄)₃Mg₂P₂O₇ and Mg₄Na(PO₄)₃Mg₆Na₈(P₂O₇)₅ are studied, and their phase diagrams are established. The partial system is divided into three partial ternary systems in which two ternary eutectics and one ternary peritectic occur.     

Comparison of the magnetic properties of MmFeband NdFeB compounds

NdFeB and corresponding MmFeB compounds were studied, the high field magnetization at 4.2 K, the a.c. susceptibility (4.2 < T < 300 K) and the anisotropy field were measured using the singular point detection technique (77 < T < 570 K). At room temperature the anisotropy field of the MmFeB is about 3T, whereas that of NdFeB compounds is about 7T. The MmFeB compounds showed effects due to the cerium (lowering the Curie temperature) as well as due to the neodymium (spin reorientation at low temperatures).     

Verres du systeme La2S3La2O3Ga2O3Ga2S3

The extent of the glass forming region is described as a function of the composition and of the cooling speed. The shape of this region is explained from the previously described La₂S₃La₂O₃Ga₂O₃Ga₂S₃ phase diagram. Glasses are obtained after relatively slow cooling (5°/min), in a definite region of compositions, which coincides with a relatively large concentration of ternary invariants. The thermal properties (transition temperatures and crystallization temperatures) were measured by DTA. For a relatively large region of compositions, glasses return to the equilibrium conditions with intermediate formation of the La_3.33Ga₆S₁₂O₂ metastable crystalline phase. An approach to the structure of the glasses is made by comparison with the crystal structures of the numerous ternary and quaternary crystalline compounds observed in the system, and by the comparison of the Raman spectra. It appears that these gallium oxysulfide glasses have many structural analogies with germanium sulfide glasses.