Thermal expansion and heat capacity measurements on Ba10−x Cs x (PO4)6Cl2−δ, (x = 0, 0.5) chloroapatites synthesized by sonochemical process

Abstract

Ba10−x Cs x (PO4)6Cl2, (x = 0, 0.5) chloroapatite ceramics were prepared by sonochemical method of synthesis. The measured room temperature lattice parameters of Ba10 (PO4)6Cl2 and Ba9.5Cs0.5 (PO4)6Cl2−δ are practically the same; that is, a = 10.26 (8), c = 7.65 (7) and a = 10.27 (7), c = 7.65 (5), respectively. Heat capacity measurements were carried out on these materials by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) in the temperature range 298–800 K. The heat capacity values of Ba9.5Cs0.5(PO4)6Cl2−δ are found to be slightly higher at all temperatures than those of Ba10(PO4)6Cl2. From the heat capacity data, other thermodynamic functions such as enthalpy and entropy increments were computed. The heat capacity values of Ba10(PO4)6Cl2 and Ba9.5Cs0.5(PO4)6Cl2−δ at 298 K are 0.3912 and 0.4310 J K−1 g−1, respectively. Thermal expansion property of the doped and undoped barium chloroapatites was measured by using a home built dilatometer which uses LVDT as displacement sensor. The bulk thermal expansion of Ba10(PO4)Cl2 and Ba9.5Cs0.5(PO4)Cl2−δ is observed to be about 0.9% in the temperature range of 298–973 K.