Síntese de Ortoniobatos de Samário (SmNbO4) polimórficos por moagem de alta energia

Abstract

Samples of samarium oxide (Sm2O3) and niobium oxide (Nb2O5) were submitted to Mechanical alloying technique and their structural evolution was accompanied by x-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. In a few hours of milling SmNbO4 crystals were identified with two polymorphisms, one monoclinic and the other tetragonal. The diffractograms were simulated by Rietveld method and all crystallographic parameters were obtained, as well as the respective amounts of phases. The average crystallite sizes were estimated by the single-line method, indicating that both polymorphs have nanosized dimensions, that is, they are nanostructured. Combining calorimetric measurements, thermal treatments and x-ray diffraction the structural stability of the samples was studied. It was observed that the monoclinic structure undergoes phase transition to tetragonal structure in an exothermic process around 850 °C. The energy needed to promote the process was obtained by the Kissinger method and the XRD measurements indicate that the transition is irreversible.