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SEPARATION OF RARE EARTH ELEMENTS. VII. STUDY OF THE SYSTEM OF PRASEODYMIUM OXIDENEODYMIUM OXIDE (DETERMINATION OF LABILE OXYGEN)

Journal Article · · Journal fuer Praktische Chemie (East Germany)
In order to determine the labile O bonded to the higher oxide of Pr, a method consisting of the measurement of the volume of O/sub 2/ liberated from the reaction 4PrO/sub 2/ + 12H/sup +/ yields 4Pr/sup 3+/ + 6H/sub 2/O + O/sub 2/ was employed. The Pr (4+) content in the mixture of Pr and Nd oxides may be calculated from the O/sub 2/ volume measurements. The oxides were dissolved in dil. HNO/sub 3/. The quantity of liberated O/sub 2/ was measured from the volume increase of the reaction apace, confined by very pure mercury placed in a U-tube. One of the arms of the U-tube serves as a reading scale. The mixture of Pr and Nd oxides was heated for 12 hours at 800 to 1200 deg C prior to chemical analysis. After such a treatment, the PrO/sub 2/ content in the oxide mixtures, containing various proportions of the components, is an increasing function of the Nd/sub 2/O/sub 3/ content of the studied system. As a further check on the results of x-ray structure analysis, the above result indicates that Nd/sub 2/O/ sub 3/ has a beneficial effect on the forrmation of PrO/sub 2/ in mixed crystals, with a fluorite type lattice. It is believed that Nd/sub 2/O/sub 3/ forms mixed crystals with Pr/sub 6/O/sub 11/ as a result of the isomorphic substitution of Pr sesquioxide contained in its lattice. Displaced Pr/sub 2/O/sub 3/ is oxidized to PrO/sub 2/ by oxygen of the air. The content of labile oxygen in mixed fluorite type crystals depends to a large extent upon the conditions of the mixture's cooling subsequent to their heating. In mix- tures with high Nd content, the phase correspondence and the amount of displaced O depend, in the main, on the conditions of roasting. In the latter case the basic component of the mixture is a hexagonal A-form of sesquioxides, which improves the mixed oxide's stability to action by the air's oxygen. (W.L.H.)
Research Organization:
Originating Research Org. not identified
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
NSA Number:
NSA-14-013706
OSTI ID:
4190836
Journal Information:
Journal fuer Praktische Chemie (East Germany), Journal Name: Journal fuer Praktische Chemie (East Germany) Vol. Vol: 6; ISSN JPCEA
Country of Publication:
Country unknown/Code not available
Language:
English