Thermal Study of the Cr-Mo-O System in Air

The phase diagram of the ternary system Cr-Mo-O in air was established from the results of thermal analysis of mixtures with different initial CrO3 to MoO3 ratios. It was found that MoO3 did not take any chromium oxide into solid solution. The presence of Cr2O3 destabilized MoO3 causing it to decompose to MoO2 in the temperature range 723-958 K depending on the initial Cr/Mo ratio. The decomposition of pure MoO3 MoO2 did not occur in air at any temperature. However, this decomposition took place through the formation of the compound Cr2O3·3MoO3(ss) and its decomposition to Cr2O3·3MoO2(ss). The latter compound has never been reported before and the X-ray data for this compound are given. The previously reported catalytic activity of Cr2O3·3MoO3(ss), at high temperatures, is presumably due to its reduction to Cr2O3·3MoO2(ss). This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.