Low temperature synthesis of pure and Fe-doped HfSiO4: Determination of Si and Fe fractions by neutron activation analysis

Abstract

A new method of synthesis of hafnium silicate HfSiO4 (also known as hafnon) is reported. We observed a self-controlled incorporation of SiO2 from the quartz tube in which a sample of hafnium oxide nanoparticles was heated. This approach was then adapted to Fe-doped hafnon production. Sample structure, morphology and composition were characterized by X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy and neutron activation analysis. Diffraction data has shown that lattice parameters of doped HfSiO4 thus obtained are very close to those previously known for bare hafnon. The hafnon-like phase stabilized at T = 900 °C which is about 500 °C lower than the corresponding transition of bare bulk hafnium silicate. The fractions of Si and Fe in the composite matrices were determined with neutron activation analysis. These results completed by X-ray diffraction data allowed to assume that (i) Fe initially substituted Hf in the HfO2 lattice; (ii) there was no migration of iron atoms from Hf to Si sites at the formation of hafnon-like phase; (iii) doped and undoped hafnium oxide has taken as much Si from the quartz as was needed for the arrangement of Fe1-xHfxSiO4 tetragonal system, 0≤x<0.2. Our results are consistent with those obtained for similar materials, such as metal (Fe,V) doped zircon, where the dopant also demonstrated catalytic effect on phase stabilization.