Mechanical and thermal properties of Tb 2(MoO 4) 3 crystals

Abstract

The mechanical and thermal properties of single crystal Tb 2(MoO 4) 3 have been systematically studied. The result of microhardness measurement indicates that the crystal belongs to the soft materials category. The thermodynamic parameters obtained from DTA analysis were used for determining the type of liquid–solid interface during crystal growth. Negative thermal expansion along the c-axis was observed, and this behavior was attributed to the bent Tb–O–Mo bonds. The specific heat of the crystal was measured to be 0.122 cal g −1 K −1 at 293.15 K. The thermal conductivity of Tb 2(MoO 4) 3 at room temperature was found to be smaller than that of representative ferroelectric LiNbO 3.