Refinement of the Congruently Melting Composition of Nonstoichiometric Fluorite Crystals Ca_1-<i>x</i>Y<i>_x</i>F_2<i>x</i> (<i>x</i> = 0.01–0.14)

Abstract

The concentration series of nonstoichiometric crystals Ca1–xYxF2+x (x = 0.01–0.14) was obtained from a melt by directional crystallization to refine the composition of the temperature maximum on the melting curves. A precision (±9 × 10−5 Å) determination of lattice parameters of the Ca1–xYxF2+x crystals with the structure of fluorite (sp. gr. Fm-3m) was performed, and a linear equation of their concentration dependence was calculated: a(x) = 5.46385(5) + 0.1999(4) x. The distribution of yttrium along the crystals Ca1–xYxF2+x, the content of which is determined by the precision lattice parameters, is studied. The congruently melting composition x = 0.105(5) of the Ca1–xYxF2+x phase is refined by the method of directional crystallization.

Keywords

• nonstoichiometric fluorides
• CaF₂
• yttrofluorite
• congruent melting
• lattice constant