Solid state interaction between V₂O₅ and MoO₃: specific features related to minor vanadia transfer

Abstract.

Vanadia transport, which is a minor reaction flux in the solid state reaction between V₂O₅ and MoO₃, was studied using chemical and neutron activation analyses and electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis. It was found that negligible quantities of vanadia were transferred in a molybdena briquette during the reaction. Vanadia was presumably localized in thin external layers of molybdena grains. The reaction potential difference U _r across a Pt|MoO₃|V₂O₅|Pt cell was studied. It was shown that in this cell U _r was produced at the molybdena briquette and was due to vanadia transport. The U _r value changed with time in two stages. The reaction potential difference U _r was constant (or diminished slightly) at the first stage and dropped abruptly at the second stage. The duration of the first stage depended on the initial thickness of the MoO₃ briquette: the thicker the briquette, the longer the U _r value was nearly constant. Causes and probable mechanisms of U _r generation are discussed in different terms: chemical reaction, variation of a _{O 2} at the boundary between the reaction product and initialoxides, or surface spreading of the minor (V₂O₅ or V₉Mo₆O₄₀) diffusant. The last mechanism, which received the least study in the general case, was shown to be the most probable one for the reaction at hand.