Phase Equilibria and Dielectric Behavior in the CaO:Al2O3:Nb2O5 System

Published

November 1, 2000

Author(s)

Terrell A. Vanderah, W Febo, Julia Y. Chan, Robert S. Roth, J. M. Loezos, L D. Rotter, Richard G. Geyer, B A. Reisner, Dennis B. Minor

Abstract

Subsolidus phase equilibria in the CaO:Al2O3:Nb2O5 system at 1325 C in air have been determined. One ternary phase forms, Ca2AlNbO6, which exhibits a perovskite-related structure with 1:1 or NaCl-type ordering of Al3+ and Nb5+ on the B-sites. Indexed X-ray powder diffraction data for this monoclinic compound are given (P21/n (No. 11); a=5.3780(1), b=5.4154(1), c=7.6248(2) , b=89.968(2) ). The subsystem CaO-Nb2O5 was re-examined at CaO contents above 70 mol% to clarify inconsistencies in the literature. Two phases were confirmed to form in this region: the polymorphic ordered perovskite Ca4Nb2O9, with solid solution ranging from approximately 17 to 20.5 mol% Nb2O5, and the compound referred to as Ca3Nb2O8, which was shown here to occur as essentially a point compound at the composition 75.25:24.75 CaO:Nb2O5. The perovskite-related structure of the Ca3Nb2O8-type phase was shown to be non-cubic, and further studies are in progress. Capacitance methods at 1 MHz were used to determine the dielectric constants and associated temperature coefficients for eleven compounds in the CaO:Al2O3:Nb2O5 system. Ca2AlNbO6 and Ca3Nb2O8 co-exist in equilibria, and were found to exhibit temperature coefficients of permittivity with opposite signs. Five compositions in the xCa2AlNbO6(1-x)Ca3Nb2O8 system were prepared and their dielectric properties measured by dielectric resonator methods at 5-7 GHZ. The relative permittivities and temperature coefficients of resonant frequency obtained for the end members Ca2AlNbO6 and Ca3Nb2O8 were 30, -88 ppm/ C, and 45, +113 ppm/ C, respectively. Temperature compensation of the resonant frequency was obtained near x=0.67 with a permittivity of 32; no solid solution was detected by X-ray powder diffraction.

Citation

Journal of Solid State Chemistry

Volume

155 No. 1

Pub Type

Journals

Keywords

Ca₂AlNbO₆, Ca₃Nb₂O₈, calcium niobates, CaO:Al₂O₃, microwave dielectric properties, Nb₂O₅, phase diagrams

Citation

Vanderah, T. , Febo, W. , Chan, J. , Roth, R. , M., J. , Rotter, L. , Geyer, R. , Reisner, B. and Minor, D. (2000), Phase Equilibria and Dielectric Behavior in the CaO:Al₂O₃:Nb₂O₅ System, Journal of Solid State Chemistry (Accessed October 21, 2025)