Phase transition of negative thermal expansion Zr_1-xHf_xW₂O₈ solid solutions

Abstract

A powder X-ray diffraction experiment was performed on cubic Zr_1-xHf_xW₂O₈ (x=0.25, 0.50 and 0.75) solid solutions from 90 to 560 K. The lattice parameters of Zr_1-xHf_xW₂O₈ at 121 K decreased linearly with increasing Hf contents, due to smaller ionic radius of hafnium than that of zirconium. Transition temperatures due to α-β structural phase transition increased with increasing Hf contents, reflecting the decrease of lattice free volume related to the orientation of unshared vertex of WO₄. Anomaly in the heat capacity of Zr_0.5Hf_0.5W₂O₈ was observed around 450 K which was 9 K lower than that by X-ray diffraction method. Transition entropy of Zr_0.5Hf_0.5W₂O₈ was 2.1 J mol^-1 K^-1, consistent with those of ZrW₂O₈ and HfW₂O₈. This consistent entropy supports that Zr_1-xHf_xW₂O₈ (x=0-1.0) has the same order-disorder phase transition mechanism.