Use of frit-disc crucibles for routine and exploratory solution growth of single crystalline samples

Thumbnail Image
Date
2016-01-05
Authors
Canfield, Paul
Kong, Tai
Kaluarachchi, Udhara
Jo, Na Hyun
Major Professor
Advisor
Committee Member
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Authors
Person
Canfield, Paul
Distinguished Professor
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Organizational Unit
Organizational Unit
Physics and Astronomy
Physics and astronomy are basic natural sciences which attempt to describe and provide an understanding of both our world and our universe. Physics serves as the underpinning of many different disciplines including the other natural sciences and technological areas.
Journal Issue
Is Version Of
Versions
Series
Department
Ames National LaboratoryPhysics and Astronomy
Abstract

Solution growth of single crystals from high temperature solutions often involves the separation of residual solution from the grown crystals. For many growths of intermetallic compounds, this separation has historically been achieved with the use of plugs of silica wool. Whereas this is generally effcient in a mechanical sense, it leads to a significant contamination of the decanted liquid with silica fibers. In this paper we present a simple design for frit-disc alumina crucible sets that has made their use in the growth single crystals from high temperature solutions both simple and affordable. An alumina frit-disc allows for the clean separation of the residual liquid from the solid phase. This allows for the reuse of the decanted liquid, either for further growth of the same phase, or for subsequent growth of other, related phases. In this paper we provide examples of the growth of isotopically substituted TbCd6 and icosahedral i-RCd quasicrystals, as well as the separation of (i) the closely related Bi2Rh3S2 and Bi2Rh3:5S2 phases and (ii) PrZn11 and Pr2Zn17.

Comments

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Philosophical Magazine on January 5, 2016, available online at DOI: 10.1080/14786435.2015.1122248. Posted with permission.

Description
Keywords
Citation
DOI
Copyright
Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 UTC 2016
Collections