AN mvxzsmmm .01: mi EURGHUM _ j -; ~ ' ‘OXIDEFWORIDE Euaomum sasamoxzag SYSTEM _ Thesis for the Degree of M. S. MECHIGAN Sm: UNEVERSEE’Y ‘ , SANDRA LEGMRD BfiCON ' ' ' ' '19:: ""w-.~V LI BRA R Y Michigan Stat: University f’n ¢¢¢¢ In an a oxidefluoric “WWW. see This solutio at constant - sequioxide ' not undergo above the no= The modq apparent new with 91mm ‘ 339% red a S I”Vesti AN INVESTIGATION OF THE EUROPIUM OXIDEFLUORIDE - EUROPIUM SESQUIOXIDE SYSTEM By Sandra Leonard Bacon In an attempt to study the vaporization behavior of europium oxidefluoride, it was learned that the equilibrium product, cubic europium sesquioxide, forms a solid solution with the oxidefluoride. This solution was characterized by a continuous decrease in pressure at constant temperature as the conversion of oxidefluoride to sesquioxide took place and also by the fact that the sesquioxide did not undergo its cubic to monoclinic transition at temperature 300° above the normal transition point. The mode of vaporization for EuOF was not established due to apparent reaction of molybdenum, tungsten, thoria and platinum cells with either the residue or effusate. Condensed effusate always appeared as a reduced fluoride EUF2.3’ Investigation into the reactions of molybdenum and platinum with EuF3(s) revealed that some reduction occurs in the solid state during vaporization at l500° in both cases. A new compound with the proposed formula Eu3Th2(Eu04)30 was produced by reaction of Th02 and EuOF under vaporization conditions. The structure of this compound fits the apatite family with a = 9.590 :_0.002 3 and c = 7.065 t 0.009 3. Confirmation of the formula by chemical analysis has not been completed. AN INVESTIGATION OF THE EUROPIUM OXIDEFLUORIDE - EUROPIUM SESQUIOXIDE SYSTEM By Sandra Leonard Bacon A THESIS Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE Department of Chemistry l97l The ant Jr. Harry A. fins investi 797:6”a24re C. Biefeld i To the . SO patient, The fine U-3- Atomic ‘._’| (3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author wishes to express her sincere appreciation to Dr. Harry A. Eick for his guidance and assistance in the course of this investigation. Also, the aid of the members of the High Temperature Group, Dr. R. Seivers, D. E. Work, A. V. Hariharan and C. Biefeld is most gratefully acknowledged. To the author's husband, Terrance, a special thanks for being so patient. The financial support of the National Science Foundation and U. S. Atomic Energy Commission is gratefully acknowledged. ii I L L ‘ lllllll 5- Cha D. Pha: l. 2. 3. E' ThEr l. 2. 3. EXPERIME. Equ; I. II. III. TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ....................... THEORETICAL CONSIDERATION ................ A. Vaporization ..................... l. Technique and Theory ............... 2. Limitations of the Knudsen Technique ....... a. Orifice Shape and Cell Geometry ....... b. Orifice Effects ............... c. Vaporization Coefficient ........... d. Diffusion ................... e. Sticking Coefficient ............. f. Interaction with Knudsen Cell ......... B. Characterization of the Gaseous and Condensed Phases . l. Mass Spectrometry ................ 2. X-Ray Fluorescence ................ C. Temperature Measurements and Corrections ....... D. Phase Relationships ................. l. Possible Composition Range for EuOF-Eu203 ..... 2. Phase Rule .................... 3 Modes of Vaporization and Their Relation to the Phase Rule .................... E. Thermodynamic Calculations .............. l. General Considerations .............. 2. Third Law Calculations .............. 3. Calculation and Estimation of Thermal Functions. . a. Free Energy Functions from Vibrational Data. . b. Estimation of Heat Capacities for Solids . . . c. Approximation of Standard Entropies of Solids. EXPERIMENTAL ....................... A. Equipment ...................... l. Target Collection ................ 5 6 8 8 9 TO 10 10 ll l4 l6 l6 l7 l7 l9 19 21 23 23 25 25 26 $11th K)“ IV. 2. X-Ray Fluorescence Equipment ............ 26 3. X-Ray Diffraction ................. 26 4. Temperature Measurement .............. 27 5. High Temperature Mass Spectrometry ......... 27 a. Spectrometer ................. 27 b. Mass Spectrometer Cells ............ 27 6. Micrograph ..................... 27 7. Heating Apparatus ................. 27 B. Preparative ....................... 28 l. Europium Oxidefluoride ............... 28 a. Europium Sesquioxide .............. 28 b. EurOpium Trifluoride .............. 28 C. Analysis . . . . .................... 29 l. Powder X-Ray Diffraction Techniques ........ 29 2. Chemical Analysis ................. 30 a. Europium .................... 30 b. Fluorine .................... 30 c. Oxygen ..................... 31 D. Vaporization Techniques ................ 3l l. Target Collection Method .............. 3l a. General Procedures Followed for All Experiments. 3l b. Measurement of Orifice Area ........... 33 c. Specific Conditions for the EuOF Study ..... 33 d. Analysis of Effusates Collected on Targets . . . 33 E. Characterization of the Mode .............. 35 l. Effusate ...................... 35 a. Collection ................... 35 b. Weight Loss ................... .35 c. Mass Spectrometry ............... 35 2. Residue ...................... 36 3. Use of X-Ray Fluorescence to Detect Impurities or Secondary Reactions ................. 36 4. Reaction of EuF3 with Different Cell Materials . . . 37 RESULTS .......................... 38 A. Results of Preparative Techniques ,,,,,,,,,,, 38 iv l. Europium Trifluoride ................ 38 2. Europium Oxidefluoride ............... 38 B. Analytical Results ............... . . . 38 l. X-Ray Diffraction . ............. . . . 38 2. Chemical Analysis ................. 39 C. Results of X-Ray Fluorescence Calibration . . . . . . . 40 D. Vaporization Results ................. 40 l. Mode of Vaporization ............ . . . 40 a. Effusate ................... 40 b. Residue .................... 43 c. Attempts to Produce New Phases ......... 44 2. Reaction of Europium Oxidefluoride with Cell Materials ..................... 44 a. Molybdenum ............... . . . 44 b. Tungsten .................... 45 c. Thoria ..................... 46 d. Platinum ................... 46 3. Reaction of Europium Trifluoride with Molybdenum and Platinum .............. 47 4. Results of Vaporization Experiments ........ 48 a. Effects of Varying Temperature and Orifice Size 48 b. Results of Constant Temperature Runs ...... 49 E. The Pressure Equation ........ i ......... 5l F. Thermodynamic Values .................. 5l l. Europium Oxidefluoride (solid) ........... 52 2. Europium Trifluoride (solid) ............ 53 3. Europium Trifluoride (gas) ............. 53 4 Europium Difluoride (solid and gas) ..... . . . 54 G. Thermodynamic Results ........... . . . . . . 55 l. Results of Various Estimations ........... 55 2. Results of Thermodynamic Reduction of the Data. . . 56 V. DISCUSSION. . . ...................... 57 A. Preparative Work .................... 57 B. Characterization of Mode ................ 57 C Interpretation of Pressure Measurements ........ 59 D Effect of Cell Material on the Reaction ........ 6l l. Molybdenum ..................... 6l V EIBLIQGRAPHY APPENDIX I . . maisrx II. IFH’P" .43.qu III . ! Pm mam Iv. . I v EPPENDIX V . 2. Tungsten ...................... 62 3. Thoria ....................... 63 4. Platinum ...................... 65 E. Unanswered Questions and Their Possible Resolution . . . 65 1. What is the Reaction With Molybdenum? ........ 65 2. What is the Mode of Vaporization of EuOF? ...... 66 3. Does EuF (s) + EuF3(g)? How Does This Reaction Affect tge Vaporization of EuOF? .......... 66 4. Why the Difference Between SmOF and EuOF? ...... 67 5. Further Comments .................. 68 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................... 69 APPENDIX I ............................ 73 APPENDIX II ............................ 76 APPENDIX III ........................... 79 APPENDIX IV ............................ 80 APPENDIX V ............................ Bl vi N 3‘ . IT) 11. Inte Effu IIL Rep: TABLE OF TABLES I. Weight Loss Data - Percent EurOpium ............ 39 II. Intensity and Appearance Potential Data of the Effusate of EuOF ...................... 43 III. Reported Thermodynamic Values ............... Sl vii The e attributed oxidefluor Zacharia 351 (.1 ) “filo l"; l. itiuorj .3 Lie.w I. Introduction The earliest reported study of the lanthanide oxidefluorides is attributed to Klemm and Klein], whose investigation revealed that the oxidefluorides have a cubic fluorite type lattice. Subsequently, . 2 Zachariasen reported a rhombohedral structure for all oxidefluorides except those of Ce, Tm, Yb and Lu. This rhombohedral structure is now accepted as the correct room temperature phase3 and the cubic phase found by Klemm and Klein is considered the high temperature modification. Both stoichiometric LnOF and slightly fluorine rich samples exhibit the cubic phase with the fluorine rich specimens retaining the cubic structure more readily upon cooling to room temperature. The transition temperature for the rhombohedral to cubic change (about 500°) is relatively cation independent.4’5 Other studies on the lanthanide oxidefluorides have shown regions of nonstoichiometry and solid solution in the composition range LnOXF 3,6 3-2x in which O:x_l, and Ln = La, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Er and Y. The regions where 0.5:xgl appear to be distortions of the basic fluorite structure. In some cases (La, Y) a tetragonal distortion is evidentz, whereas in others6 an orthorhombic distortion is observed. In either case, the distortion may be explained by occupancy of the tetrahedral holes present in the fluorite lattice by excess fluoride ions. The ability of fluoride ions to occupy these holes is further evidenced by the region of solid solution between europium oxidefluoride and europium trifluoride.3 Iguanas in” lanthanide prepare E03 heating the of starting that the cor sesquioxide 630‘ and its the Eu203 re monoclinic t1 In their phag Work and cxidefluoride and renorted a “EOdmium oxid reactjom my oxidefluorides In Light 0 0n EUroplum oxi itappeared tha1 lieu of Catalang y. . apomzatlon wor Sir nee europium h- C t the possibmty o -2 _ A detailed study has not been made on the lanthanide sesquioxide- lanthanide oxidefluoride systems. Catalano and Bedford3 attempted to prepare Eu304F by mixing stoichiometric amounts of Eu203 and Eu0F and heating the mixture to l600°. All attempts resulted in the retention of starting materials with no evidence of new phases. They concluded that the composition range between EuOF and Eu203 contained monoclinic sesquioxide at all temperatures and rhombohedral oxidefluoride below 600° and its cubic form above 600°. They add that in several experiments the Eu203 retained the low temperature cubic form above its normal monoclinic transition temperature, but did not include these results in their phase diagram. Work and Eick7 have studied the vaporization behavior of samarium oxidefluoride. They found the mode of vaporization to be: 3SmOF(S) = Sm203(s) + SmF3(g) (1-1) and reported a AH°298 and AS°298 for this process. In a study of neodymium oxidefluoride, Shinn4 observed a comparable decomposition reaction. Discussions on the decomposition of other lanthanide oxidefluorides cannot be found. In light of the relatively small amount of information available on europium oxidefluoride and the previous vaporization study of SmOF, it appeared that a vaporization study of EuOF would be of interest. In lieu of Catalano and Bedford's discussion of the phase diagram and the vaporization work on SmOF, major difficulties were not anticipated, but since europium has the most stable divalent state of all the lanthanides, the possibility of EuF2(g) must be considered. -3- At the outset of this work, the vaporization of EuOF was considered a practice system in which to learn the various techniques in hopes of continuing the study to condensed EuFZ. As it turned out, EuOF became the whole project. Many interesting features of the system have been uncovered, but I have been unable to solve the complex EuOF-Eu20 -EuF 3 3 system. m”? This technique 1 If a 5 Cf molecule 21 ma] be r II. Theoretical Considerations A. Vaporization l. Technique and Theory_ This vaporization study was carried out by the Knudsen effusion technique combined with target collection. If a gaseous species is confined in a closed container, the number of molecules which strike a unit section of the container wall per unit time, 2, may be represented by z = n374 molecules/cm2 sec (II-l) where n is the total number of molecules and U'is the average molecular velocity.8 If an infinitely thin orifice is drilled into the container, the number of molecules which would escape through this orifice is given by (11-2) N = $02 molecules/volume (11'2) where So is the area of the orifice. The effusion of molecules through such an ideal orifice follows the cosine distribution law.9 A circular target of radius, r, which is placed coaxially with the orifice at some distance, d, will collect that part of the molecules whose trajectory lies in the cone defined by the target and the orifice. By integrating the cosine distribution law over the volume represented by this cone, the fraction of the total -4- -5- effusate which strikes the target, 2 2 r /(d + r2) (II—3) is obtained. Finally, ideal gas behavior may be assumed for the vapor within the cell as long as conditions of molecular flow are obeyed (pressure 3 atmospheres).8 When equations II—l and 11-3 and from less than l0- kinetic theory (8RT/n)1/2 for C'are substituted into the ideal gas law, equation (II-4) is obtained. P = [w/sotit2NRT/MJ‘/2[ oopom__ou poz so oz N u o .mm.m n o - czoom < oo.o_ u o ooo + ooooo__oo ooz pooh oz ooo + momoo-o - oozm oo.~aoo-om.mooo oo oo Amm.m n o .ooov czoom oz momom-o + zoom - zoom omozo o + om.Nooo - o_oo oo oo momao + zoom - ooozz omozo w u czocm mmmca m+ ow Noam 4 mm Noam u wmwom oz moom + Awk.m u ow oom omcooo A< ow.op u my ooo oo mono-om Nooo oz momoo-ov zoozm 1 ozoooo Fo.o + mn.m n o m N oom - czogm zoom oz oz A o om1o + dozmvomzom 4 wows: cowpooommwo moomomoco:_d oowpooowmwo xmmux homux >om-x mpomommm moowmmm m m_o_ooooz __oo zoo; zoo ooo zoom 4o moooooooz >H xwoooooz N meow + ooh oozm + 3 ooo oz ow ooom + oo A z ozv zoom + oo maom + oz loom + 02 ——mo Appendix V X-Ray Diffraction Ana1ysis of Eu-Th Compound Eu2Th3(Eu04)3O a = 9.590 :_0.002 c = 7065 :_0.009 CALCULATED FOR OBSERVED CALCULATED Eu6(Si04)30 sinze Re1ative Intensitx_hk2 sigf§_ Intensitx Intensity 100 .0086 3.9 4.9 .02591 5 110 .0258 2.7 4.7 .03451 10 200 .0344 2.3 24.5 .03780 10 111 .0377 1.2 26.6 .04766 5 002 .0475 19.6 10.0 .05626 20 102 .0561 8.6 40.5 .06037 20 120 .0602 18.0 38.9 .07220 100 121 .0721 100.0 100.0 .07346 70 112 .0733 57.1 82.5 .07751 40 300 .0774 35.0 52.1 .8198 4 202 .0819 2.1 3.1 .10305 2 220 .1032 0.0 1.6 .11174 5 130 .1118 0.2 1.8 .12474 2 302 .1249 0.4 2 1 .13274 10 113 .1328 0.7 7.5 .13754 4 400 .1376 1.3 2.6 .15079 15 222 .1507 6.7 12.7 .15936 10 132 .1593 1.5 7.1 -8] - -32- CALCULATED FOR OBSERVED CALCULATED Eu6(SiO4)30 sinze Re1ative Intensitx_hk2 §1fl39_ Intensity Intensitx .16342 5 320 .1634 1.0 2.5 .16726 20 213 .1672 7.0 6.3 .17534 7 231 .1753 3.0 4.0 .18071 10 140 .1806 1.2 4.1 .18515 15 033 .1844 0.1 6.8 .19027 5 004 .1902 2.3 3.0 .22433 2 204 .2246 0.1 1.4 .22823 2 142 .2281 0.4 0.7 .24050 4 240 .2408 1.7 2.4 .24411 4 331 .2441 1.7 2.4 .25044 5 124 .2504 1.8 4.1 .26254 7 052 .2625 3.4 3. 150 .2666 1.0 1.5 .26713 8 304 .2676 3.8 4.9 .27033 8 323 .2704 2.5 3.8 .27888 5 151 .2785 3.2 4.1 332 .2797 1.4 3.1 404 .3278 0.6 1.2 .34719 2 251 .3473 1.4 2.1 324 .3536 0.6 1.4 .35667 2 602 .3571 1.1 1.8 125 .3574 2.9 2.4 342 .3657 1.1 2.0 160 .3698 0.9 1.0 OBSERVED sin2 Re1ative Intensity hk .36968 2 414 153 161 .38208 7 252 -83 - CALCULATED FOR CALCULATED Eu6(Si04)30 §1n3__ Intensitx Intensitx .3708 1.3 4.4 .3736 1.5 1.8 .3817 0.2 1.4 .3829 0.9 3.8 '- - MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY LI 3 1193 03082 5529 11111“