Formation of frozen α-AgI in superionic glass matrices at ambient temperature by rapid quenching

Superionic conducting phase of α-AgI, which is thermodynamically stable only above 147°C, was successfully frozen at ambient temperature in various kinds of glass matrices in the systems AgI---Ag₂O---M_xO_y (M_xO_y=B₂O₃, GeO₂,P₂O₅ and MoO₃) by a rapid quenching technique. The larger composition regions where α-AgI was frozen were observed in the systems with B₂O₃ and GeO₂ than in the systems with P₂O₅ and MoO₃. Since the glasses with B₂O₃ and GeO₂ have higher glass transition temperature than those with P₂O₅ and MoO₃, the former glasses have higher viscosities at 147° C. The former matrix glasses have stronger effect to depress the α-β transformation of AgI rather than the latter glasses in the course of rapid quenching of melts.