Ionic conductivity in Na+, K+, and Ag+ β″-alumina

This paper presents measurements of the ionic conductivity in single crystals of β″-alumina (0.84 M₂O · 0.67 MgO · 5.2 Al₂O₃, M = Na, K, Ag). Single crystals of sodium β″-alumina were grown from a melt of Na₂O, MgO, and Al₂O₃ at 1660 to 1730°C. Selected crystals were converted to the other isomorphs by ion exchange. The conductivity of sodium β″-alumina varies from 0.18 to 0.01 (ohm · cm)^?1 at 25°C depending upon crystal growth conditions. Potassium β″-alumina has the unusually high room temperature conductivity of 0.13 (ohm · cm)^?1. Silver β″-alumina has a slightly lower conductivity, 4 × 10^?3 (ohm · cm)^?1 at 25°C. The activation energies of sodium and potassium β″-alumina decrease with increasing temperature, while that of silver β″-alumina is constant from ?80 to 450°C.