Thermal conductivity of the gadolinium calcium silicate apatites: Effect of different point defect types

The apatite crystal structure of the gadolinium calcium silicates can accommodate a wide range of point defects, including oxygen and cation vacancies, as well as anti-site defects, depending on the Gd/Ca ratio. Compositions having only cation or oxygen vacancies were identified and the thermal diffusivity and conductivity were measured up to 1000 °C. All the compositions, including the stoichiometric composition, exhibit low thermal conductivities from room temperature to high temperature with the defect-containing compositions having even lower thermal conductivities. The high-temperature thermal conductivity, at temperatures below the onset of significant radiative heat transport, decreases with the inverse square root of the cation and anion vacancy concentration, consistent with simple defect scattering models. Based on the data, it is concluded that the oxygen vacancies are slightly more effective in reducing thermal conductivity.