Structural studies of Cr-doped mullite derived from single-phase precursors

Cr-doped mullites were prepared from single-phase precursors containing up to 9.60 wt% Cr2O3 using a sol–gel technique followed by thermal treatment. Particle induced X-ray emission spectroscopy and X-ray powder diffraction were used to characterize the samples. Mullites were orthorhombic, space group Pbam. Cr doping caused the increase of unit-cell parameters. Strongest expansion was noticed along c-axis followed by a and b (Δc/c=0.089, Δa/a=0.061, Δb/b=0.045% per mole Cr2O3). A second phase, namely θ-(Al,Cr)2O3, was revealed by XRD in the sample containing 9.60 wt% Cr2O3. The structure of mullites was refined by the Rietveld method, location of Cr3+ was performed by the EPR spectroscopy. At low chromium doping level (Cr2O3 content less than ∼5 wt%) Cr3+ ions were substituted for Al3+ in the AlO6 octahedra of the mullite structure (M1 site). For higher doping level, Cr3+ ions were additionally substituted for Al3+ in the AlO6 octahedra of the second phase [θ-(Al,Cr)2O3 at 1400 °C, or α-(Al,Cr)2O3 at 1600 °C] which segregated in the system. Substitution of Cr3+ for Al3+ on M1 site in the mullite structure resulted in increase of average distances in (M1)O6 octahedron and decrease of average distances in T*O4 tetrahedron, while average distances in TO4 tetrahedron stayed almost constant.