The Iron Sulfides Crystal Growth from the Halide Melts

Abstract

A new approach to a single crystals growth of the iron sulfide phases of definite structure and nonstoichiometry is developed and applied. This approach is based on the method of crystal growing from solution melts. This approach is based on the crystallization or recrystallization of iron sulfides from iron sulfide solutions in iron dihalide melts under fixed sulfur vapor pressure in the closed system in non-isothermal (two-temperature) conditions. It allows to regulate the composition and structure of the resulting iron sulphide. In particular, at a relatively low pressure (<0.4 atm), pyrrhotite with a trigonal 3T structure is synthesized. At higher pressure pyrite β-FeS2 is grown. Reaction scheme for the formation of iron sulphides based on the reversible oxidation of sulfur by iron dihalide is proposed and substantiated. On the base of the {pyrite + marcasite} - mixture annealing under the melts of the deepest eutectic compositions of KCl - FeCl2 and NaCl - KCl - FeCl2 systems, the instability of the marcasite phase regarding the pyrite one (at least, for T ≥ 340°C) was shown.

Keywords

• iron sulfides
• pyrite
• pyrrhotite
• iron halide
• recrystallization