Abstract
The pseudobinary systems TiO2–IrO2 and SnO2–IrO2 were studied by x-ray diffraction after treatment at various temperatures in air. Their equilibrium phase diagrams were similar, with no intermediate phases detected in either system. Maximum solid solution of TiO2 occurs with the addition of about 5 mole percent IrO2 at 1040 °C. Solid solution of TiO2 in IrO2 extends to a maximum of about 12 mole percent TiO2 at 1040 °C, the dissociation temperature. Limited solid solubility of SnO2 in IrO2 exists up to 3 mole percent SnO2 at the dissociation temperature, 1025 °C. Solid solution in SnO2 was not detected at temperatures up to 1400 °C.
Keywords: Dissociation, phase relations, SnO2–IrO2 system, solid solution, TiO2–IrO2 system
1. Introduction
The National Bureau of Standards has initiated a program to obtain accurate melting points of some of the metal oxides [1].1 As part of this program, it is important to determine the suitability of various refractory metals as container materials. The effects various container materials have upon the oxides can be best established through a study of their equilibrium phase relations. The present work presents the results of an investigation of the phase relations between IrO2 and TiO2 and between IrO2 and SnO2.
Powdered Ir has a strong tendency to oxidize to IrO2 when heated in air at moderate temperatures. However, complete oxidation is difficult to achieve. By utilizing IrO2 rather than Ir metal, the approach to equilibrium could be achieved more readily. The study would still reflect, however, the behavior in air of Ir metal in combination with TiO2 or SnO2.
Iridium has a face-centered cubic, copper-type structure with a = 3.8394 Å [2]. The freezing point of Ir, 2443 °C, is given as a secondary reference point on the International Practical Temperature Scale (IPTS)2 [3]. Iridium dioxide is similar to TiO2 in having the tetragonal, rutile structure with a = 4.4983 Å and c= 3.1544 Å [4].
Titanium dioxide occurs in two tetragonal polymorphic forms: anatase; and rutile (a = 4.594 Å, c= 2.958 Å) [5], the stable modification. The unit cell dimensions of SnO2 (tetragonal) have been reported as a = 4.738 Å, c = 3.188 Å [6]. Several melting points of TiO2 have been reported, the values ranging from 1820 to 1850 °C in an air environment [1]. Two melting points have been reported for SnO2, 1630 and 1637 °C [1].
2. Materials
The starting materials used in this study were found by general quantitative spectrochemical analyses3 to have the following impurities:
| IrO2: | 0.01−0.1%, Pt; |
| 0.001−0.01% each Al, Cu, Fe, Pd, and Si; | |
| 0.0001−0.001% Mg; and < 0.0001% Ca | |
| TiO2: | 0.01−0.1% Si; |
| 0.001−0.01% Mg; | |
| 0.0001−0.001% Cu; and < 0.0001% Ca | |
| SnO2: | 0.01−0.1% each Bi, Co, and Fe; |
| 0.001−0.01% each Al, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Si; | |
| < 0.001% each Ag, Ca, In, Mg, and Mn. |
3. Experimental Procedure
Specimens for the studies were prepared from 0.4 g batches of various combinations of the end members. Calculated amounts of each oxide, corrected for ignition loss, were weighed to the nearest milligram. Each batch was thoroughly hand mixed, placed in Vycor tubes (sealed at one end) and fired in a muffle furnace for a minimum of 18 hr at each of the following temperatures, 800, 900, and 1000°C. Succeeding each heat treatment, the materials were thoroughly hand mixed and examined by x-ray diffraction techniques.
Following the preliminary heat treatments, portions of each batch were placed in small Vycor tubes and fired in a platinum alloy wire-wound quench furnace at various temperatures for different periods. The Vycor tube containing the specimen was air quenched by quickly pulling the tube from the furnace. Equilibrium was assumed to have been achieved when the x-ray pattern showed no change after successive heat treatments or when the data were consistent with the results from a previous set of experiments.
As IrO2 is heated near its dissociation temperature, it becomes somewhat volatile. The problem of volatility of IrO2 was minimized greatly by reacting the end members at low temperatures. In an attempt to maintain composition and obtain maximum reaction, sealed platinum tubes were employed as specimen containers for the prolonged heat treatments at temperatures below dissociation. The use of Vycor tubes instead of platinum for experiments at the higher temperatures was necessary because Ir, frequently found as a decomposition product, readily reacts with platinum. On the other hand, the Vycor tube did not appear to influence or react with the various oxide samples.
Temperatures in the quench furnace were measured with a 100 percent Pt versus 90 percent Pt-10 percent Rh thermocouple. All reported temperatures pertaining to quench furnace data are considered accurate to within ±5 °C. The precision of the measurements was ±2 °C.
An induction furnace utilizing an iridium crucible as both the susceptor and specimen container was used for the heat treatments above 1400 °C. Temperatures were measured with a calibrated optical pyrometer sighted through a small hole in the crucible cover. The optical pyrometer temperature measurements are estimated to be accurate to within ±25 °C or better.
All specimens were examined by x-ray diffraction at room temperature using a high angle recording Geiger counter diffractometer and Ni-filtered Cu radiation.
4. Results and Discussion
4.1. TiO2-IrO2 and SnO2-IrO2 Systems in Air
The equilibrium phase diagram for the TiO2-IrO2 system in air is given in figure 1. The diagram was constructed from the data listed in table 1. The circles indicate the compositions and temperatures of the experiments. It should be emphasized that figure 1 represents a composite of the systems TiO2-Ir and TiO2-IrO2 in the Ti-Ir-Oxygen ternary system. At the lower temperatures, the oxygen content of the specimens closely conforms to the compositions represented by the pseudobinary TiO2-IrO2 system. At the higher temperatures; the compositions of the solid phases change by an apparent oxygen loss to those generally indicated by the TiO2-Ir join. Considering this dissociation as a type of phase transition in which the vapor phase is ignored, figure 1 is a binary representation of a portion of the ternary system.
Figure 1. Phase equilibrium diagram for the TiO2-IrO2 system in air.
• – compositions and temperatures of experiments conducted in quenching furnace.
○ –compositions and temperatures of experiments conducted in the iridium crucible induction furnace.
ss –solid solution.
Table 1.
Experimental data for compositions in the TiO2–IrO2 system
| Composition | Heat Treatmenta | X-ray diffraction analysesb | Remarks | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TiO2 | IrO2 | Temp. | Time | ||
| Mole % | Mole % | °C | hr | ||
| 98 | 2 | 900 | 45 | TiO2ss + IrO2ss | Very small amount of IrO2ss. |
| c1000 | 18 | TiO2ss | |||
| 1050 | 2 | TiO2ss | |||
| 1075 | 3 | TiO2ss | |||
| 1125 | 3 | TiO2ss | |||
| 1200 | 4 | TiO2ss | |||
| 1300 | 3 | TiO2ss | |||
| 1400 | 2 | TiO2ss + Ir | |||
| 95 | 5 | 900 | 48 | TiO2ss + lrO2ss | |
| c1000 | 60 | TiO2ss + IrO2ss | Quenched in ice water. | ||
| c1000 | 336 | TiO2ss + IrO2ss | Furnace cooled. | ||
| 1035 | 2 | TiO2ss + IrO2ss | |||
| 1040 | 2 | TiO2ss + IrO2ss + Ir | Nonequilibrium. | ||
| 1045 | 2 | TiO2ss + IrO2ss + Ir | Nonequilibrium. | ||
| 90 | 10 | 900 | 48 | TiO2ss + IrO2ss | |
| c1000 | 60 | TiO2ss + IrO2ss | Quenched in ice water. | ||
| c1000 | 336 | TiO2ss + IrO2ss | Furnace cooled. | ||
| 1035 | 2 | TiO2ss + IrO2ss | |||
| 1040 | 2 | TiO2ss + IrO2ss + Ir | Nonequilibrium. | ||
| 75 | 25 | 900 | 18 | TiO2ss + IrO2ss | |
| c1000 | 60 | Ti02ss + IrO2ss | |||
| c1030 | 504 | TiO2ss + IrO2ss | |||
| 1035 | 2 | TiO2ss + IrO2ss | |||
| 1040 | 2 | TiO2ss + IrO2ss + Ir | Nonequilibrium. | ||
| 1300 | 0.5 | TiO2ss + Ir + IrO2ss | Nonequilibrium. | ||
| d1700 | TiO2 + Ir | ||||
| 50 | 50 | 500 | 0.5 | TiO2ss + IrO2ss | High temperature x-ray data. |
| 900 | 20 | TiO2ss+IrO2ss | |||
| 975 | 0.5 | TiO2ss+IrO2ss | High temperature x-ray data. | ||
| 1000 | 0.5 | TiO2ss + IrO2ss | High temperature x-ray data. | ||
| 1000 | 3 | TiO2ss + IrO2ss | High temperature x-ray data. | ||
| 1000 | 18 | TiO2ss + IrO2ss | |||
| c1000 | 18 | TiO2ss + IrO2ss | Quenched in ice water. | ||
| c1000 | 60 | TiO2ss + IrO2ss | Furnace cooled. | ||
| 1003 | 64 | TiO2ss + IrO2ss | |||
| 1020 | 66 | TiO2ss + IrO2ss | |||
| 1025 | 66 | TiO2ss + IrO2ss | |||
| 1030 | 3 | TiO2ss + IrO2ss | |||
| 1030 | 504 | TiO2ss + IrO2ss | |||
| 1035 | 2 | TiO2ss + IrO2ss | |||
| 1040 | 2 | TiO2ss + IrO2ss + Ir | Nonequilibrium. | ||
| 1045 | 2 | TiO2ss + IrO2ss + Ir | Nonequilibrium. | ||
| 1050 | 2 | TiO2ss + IrO2ss + Ir | Noneqtiilibrium. | ||
| 1055 | 2 | TiO2ss + IrO2ss + Ir | Nonequilibrium. | ||
| 1100 | 1.5 | TiO2ss + Ir + IrO2ss | Nonequilibrium. | ||
| 1100 | 40 | TiO2ss + Ir + IrO2ss | Nonequilibrium. | ||
| 1200 | 3 | TiO2ss + Ir | |||
| 1300 | 0.5 | TiO2ss + Ir | |||
| d1700 | 3 | Ir + TiO2 + IrO2 | Nonequilibrium; IrO2 probably formed on cooling. | ||
| 25 | 75 | 900 | 18 | IrO2ss + TiO2ss | |
| c1000 | 60 | IrO2ss + TiO2ss | |||
| c1030 | 504 | IrO2ss + TiO2ss | |||
| 1035 | 2 | IrO2ss + TiO2ss | |||
| 1040 | 2 | IrO2ss + TiO2ss + Ir | Nonequilibrium. | ||
| 1300 | 0.5 | Ir + TiO2ss | |||
| d1700 | 3 | Ir + TiO2 + IrO2 | Nonequilibrium; IrO2 probably formed on cooling. | ||
| 15 | 85 | 900 | 20 | IrO2ss + TiO2ss | |
| c1000 | 18 | IrO2ss + TiO2ss | |||
| 1030 | 1.5 | IrO2ss + TiO2ss | |||
| 1035 | 2 | IrO2ss + TiO2ss | |||
| 1040 | 2 | IrO2ss + TiO2ss + Ir | Nonequilibrium. | ||
| 10 | 90 | 900 | 48 | IrO2ss + TiO2ss | |
| c1000 | 60 | IrO2ss + TiO2ss | Quenched in ice water. | ||
| c1000 | 336 | IrO2ss + TiO2ss | Furnace cooled. | ||
| 1025 | 2 | IrO2ss | |||
| 1030 | 2 | IrO2ss + Ir | |||
| 1065 | 3 | IrO2ss + Ir + TiO2ss | Nonequilibrium. | ||
| 5 | 95 | 900 | 48 | IrO2ss + TiO2ss | Very small amount of TiO2ss. |
| c1000 | 60 | IrO2ss | Quenched in ice water. | ||
| c1000 | 336 | IrO2ss | Furnace cooled. | ||
| 1020 | 2 | IrO2ss | |||
| 1025 | 2 | IrO2ss + Ir | |||
| 1030 | 2 | IrO2ss + Ir | |||
| c1030 | 504 | IrO2ss + Ir | |||
| 2 | 98 | 900 | 45 | IrO2ss | |
| c1000 | 18 | IrO2ss | |||
| 1025 | 2 | IrO2ss + Ir | |||
| 1040 | 3 | IrO2ss + Ir | |||
| 1050 | 2 | IrO2ss + Ir + TiO2ss | Nonequilibrium. | ||
| 1075 | 2.5 | IrO2ss + Ir + TiO2ss | Nonequilibrium. | ||
| 1200 | 2 | Ir + TiO2ss | |||
All specimens were heat treated at 800 °C a minimum of 18 hr. Unless otherwise indicated, Vycor tubes (sealed at one end) were used for specimen containers and were air quenched.
The phases identified are given in order of the relative amount present at room temperature.
Sealed platinum tubes were used for specimen containers.
Experiments were conducted in the iridium crucible induction furnace.
It was found in earlier work that IrO2 dissociates to Ir metal and presumably oxygen at 1020 °C ±5 °C in air at atmospheric pressure [7]. The dissociation is apparently a reversible process. Apparent metastable dissociation occurs when amorphous IrO2 is used. The data indicated a lowering of the dissociation temperature and was not consistent with the results from previous experiments. However, crystalline IrO2, characterized by x-ray diffraction patterns after heating at 1000 °C for 18 hr, yielded dissociation data in good agreement with the earlier work [7, 8]. Metastable dissociation was also observed in the oxide-IrO2 mixtures prior to the preliminary heat treatments.
No intermediate solid solution phases or binary compounds were detected in the TiO2-IrO2 system. Solid solution in TiO2(TiO2SS) occurs with the addition of up to about 5 mole percent IrO2 at 1040 °C. At 1400 °C the extent of TiO2ss decreased to less than 2 mole percent IrO2, and at 1700 °C it was not detectable. Presumably at temperatures higher than 1400 °C, although not detected, TiO2ss exists in decreasing amounts to the melting point of TiO2. Melting was not observed in any of the experiments.
Up to 12 percent TiO2 in solid solution with IrO2 (IrO2SS) was found at the maximum dissociation temperature, 1040 °C. Figure 1 indicates IrO2SS dissociates to two solid phases, Ir solid solution (Irss) and TiO2SS. The Irss apparently extends over such a small compositional range, it was not detected in this study. The TiO2ss and IrO2ss phases were identified by a shift in the x-ray reflections indicating a change in the unit cell dimensions.
At temperatures above 1040 °C, it could not be determined whether the system under consideration is a pseudo or a true binary system. The uncertainty is due to the inability to identify the type of TiO2ss that exists above the dissociation temperature. No definite conclusion can be made in this study concerning the presence of IrO2 or Ir in the TiO2ss phase. The TiO2SS may be an oxygen deficient phase at the higher temperatures.
The equilibrium phase diagram for the SnO2-IrO2 system in air is given in figure 2. The pertinent data are listed in table 2. The diagram is similar to the TiO2-IrO2 system in many respects. No intermediate binary phases were detected. Only limited solid solubility in IrO2 was found to exist, extending to about 3 mole percent SnO2 at 1025 °C, where dissociation occurs. Solid solutions in either SnO2 or Ir were not detected.
Figure 2. Phase equilibrium diagram for the SnO2-IrO2 system in air.
Insert shows expanded view of diagram from 95 to 100 mole percent IrO2 and from 1010 to 1040 °C
• – compositions and temperatures of experiments conducted in quenching furnace.
ss –solid solution.
Table 2.
Experimental data for compositions in the SnO2-IrO2 system
| Composition | Heat treatmenta | X-ray diffraction analysesb | Remarks | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SnO2 | IrO2 | Temp. | Time | ||
| Mole % | Mole % | °C | hr | ||
| 95 | 5 | 900 | 18 | SnO2 + IrO2ss | Very small amount of IrO2. |
| 1000 | 18 | SnO2 + IrO2ss | |||
| c1000 | 168 | SnO2 + IrO2ss | |||
| 1020 | 2.5 | SnO2 + IrO2ss | |||
| 1025 | 2 | SnO2 + IrO2ss + Ir | Nonequilibrium. | ||
| 1030 | 2.5 | SnO2 + IrO2ss + Ir | Nonequilibrium. | ||
| 1200 | 2.5 | SnO2 + Ir | |||
| 1400 | 3 | SnO2 + Ir | |||
| 90 | 10 | 900 | 20 | SnO2 + IrO2ss | |
| c1000 | 168 | SnO2 + IrO2ss | |||
| 1020 | 2.5 | SnO2 + IrO2ss | |||
| 1025 | 2 | SnO2 + IrO2ss + Ir | Nonequilibrium. | ||
| 1030 | 2 | SnO2 + IrO2ss + Ir | Nonequilibrium. | ||
| 75 | 25 | 900 | 20 | SnO2 + IrO2ss | |
| c1000 | 5.5 | SnO2 + IrO2ss | Quenched in ice water. | ||
| c1000 | 70 | SnO2 + IrO2ss | Furnace cooled. | ||
| 1020 | 2 | SnO2 + IrO2ss | |||
| 1025 | 2 | SnO2 + IrO2ss + Ir | Nonequilibrium. | ||
| 50 | 50 | 900 | 20 | SnO2 + IrO2ss | |
| 1000 | 66 | SnO2 + IrO2ss | |||
| c1000 | 25 | SnO2 + IrO2ss | Quenched in ice water. | ||
| 1020 | 2 | SnO2 + IrO2ss | |||
| 1025 | 2 | SnO2 + IrO2ss + Ir | Nonequilibrium. | ||
| 1030 | 2 | SnO2 + IrO2ss + Ir | Nonequilibrium. | ||
| 1035 | 2 | SnO2 + IrO2ss + Ir | Nonequilibrium. | ||
| 1040 | 2 | SnO2 + IrO2ss + Ir | Nonequilibrium. | ||
| 1050 | 2 | SnO2 + IrO2ss + Ir | Nonequilibrium. | ||
| 1060 | 20 | SnO2 + Ir | |||
| 25 | 75 | 900 | 18 | IrO2ss + SnO2 | |
| c1000 | 168 | IrO2ss + SnO2 | |||
| 1015 | 2 | IrO2ss + SnO2 | |||
| 1020 | 2.5 | IrO2ss + SnO2 | |||
| 1025 | 2 | IrO2ss + SnO2 + Ir | Nonequilibrium. | ||
| 10 | 90 | 900 | 20 | IrO2ss + SnO2 | |
| c1000 | 168 | IrO2ss + SnO2 | |||
| 1015 | 3 | IrO2ss + SnO2 | |||
| 1020 | 2 | IrO2ss + SnO2 | |||
| 1025 | 2 | IrO2ss + SnO2 + Ir | Nonequilibrium. | ||
| 1030 | 2.5 | IrO2ss + SnO2 + Ir | Nonequilibrium. | ||
| 5 | 95 | 900 | 18 | IrO2ss + SnO2 | |
| c1000 | 168 | IrO2ss + SnO2 | |||
| 1015 | 2 | IrO2ss + SnO2 | |||
| 1020 | 2 | IrO2ss + SnO2 | |||
| 1025 | 2 | IrO2ss + SnO2 + Ir | Nonequilibrium. | ||
| 2.5 | 97.5 | 900 | 18 | IrO2ss + SnO2 | |
| 1000 | 18 | IrO2ss + SnO2 | |||
| c1000 | 168 | IrO2ss + SnO2 | |||
| 1015 | 2 | IrO2ss + SnO2 | |||
| 1020 | 2 | IrO2ss + SnO2 | |||
| 1025 | 2 | IrO2ss + SnO2 + Ir | Nonequilibrium. | ||
| 1030 | 2 | IrO2ss + Sn02 + Ir | Nonequilibrium. | ||
| 1 | 99 | 900 | 18 | IrO2ss + SnO2 | Very small amount of SnO2. |
| 1000 | 18 | IrO2ss | |||
| 1015 | 2 | IrO2ss | |||
| 1020 | 2 | IrO2ss | |||
| 1025 | 3 | IrO2ss + Ir | Nonequilibrium. | ||
| 1035 | 2 | IrO2ss + Ir | Nonequilibrium. | ||
| 1050 | 3 | Ir + SnO2 | Very small amount of SnO2. | ||
| 1060 | 4 | Ir + SnO2 | Very small amount of SnO2. | ||
All specimens were heat treated at 800 °C a minimum of 18 hr. Unless otherwise indicated, Vycor tubes (sealed at one end) were used for specimen containers and were air quenched.
The phases identified are given in order of the relative amount present at room temperature.
Sealed platinum tubes were used for specimen containers.
Inasmuch as both TiO2 and IrO2 have the tetragonal, rutile type structure with similar unit cell dimensions and the same cationic radii (0.68 Å) [10], it was expected that larger regions of solid solubility than observed would exist. Several experiments were conducted in order to establish whether or not the results found in this study were indeed indicative of equilibrium conditions. Every effort was made through thorough mixing and various heating techniques to react the oxides. The data did not differ for long heats (3 weeks) versus short heats (few hours) and for quenched specimens versus furnace cooled specimens. The results were identical for experiments using sealed and unsealed tubes below the dissociation temperatures. Hydrothermal experiments did not indicate any increase in oxide reaction.
It was thought that an unmixing dome might exist such as reported for the TiO2-SnO2 system [11]. High temperature x-ray diffraction data indicated that there was no unmixing on cooling in the TiO2IrO2 system. The data indicate that the tendency for dissociation is so great that only limited solubility occurs. At higher temperatures and higher oxygen pressures a miscibility range may exist.
Iridium metal seems quite acceptable as a container material for a study of SnO2 in air above 1025 °C. The oxidation of Ir at low temperatures does not appreciably detract from its use as a container at high temperatures. The fact that TiO2ss was not detected above 1400 °C, does not eliminate possible problems in the use of Ir as a container material for a study of TiO2 in air.
4.2. Summary
Equilibrium phase diagrams for the TiO2-IrO2 and SnO2-IrO2 systems were determined in air. Selected mixtures in the systems were studied by x-ray diffraction after various heat treatments. In the TiO2-IrO2 system, solid solution in TiO2 occurs up to about 5 mole percent IrO2 at 1040 °C. Solid solution in IrO2 occurs up to about 12 mole percent TiO2 at the maximum dissociation temperature of 1040 °C.
The SnO2-IrO2 system is similar to TiO2-IrO2 system in many respects. Limited solid solubility of IrO2 was found with the addition of about 3 mole percent SnO2 at 1025 °C, the temperature at which dissociation occurs.
Footnotes
Figures in brackets indicate the literature references at the end of this paper.
This scale (IPTS) applies to all temperatures listed in this paper.
The spectrochemical analyses were performed by the Spectrochemical Analysis Section of the National Bureau of Standards.
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