The Crystal Growth of Monticellite and Åkermanite Using Alkali Chlorides

• Published in: Journal of the Ceramic Association, Japan Vol. 95; no. 1103; pp. 749 - 752
• Main Authors: SAKAMOTO, Chiaki, FUJII, Satoshi, SUGIE, Yosohiro, TANAKA, Mutsuhiko, OHTANI, Noriaki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: The Ceramic Society of Japan 1987
• Subjects: Ca2MgSi2O7; Flux method; Growth of CaMgSiO4 crystal; Monticellite; NaCl flux; NaCl-CaCl2 flux; Soaking period; Soaking temperature; Starting material; Åkermanite
• ISSN: 0009-0255; 1884-2127
• DOI: 10.2109/jcersj1950.95.1103_749

Monticellite (CaMgSiO4) and akermanite (Ca2MgSi2O7) crystals were grown in molten alkali chlorides. Natural dolomite, silicagel and α-quartz were used as the starting materials, NaCl for monticellite and NaCl-CaCl2 for åkermanite being the most suitable flux. Monticellite and åkermanite were synthesized under various experimental conditions of the following parameters, R1 (silicagel or α-quartz/dolomite, molar ratio), R2 (starting material/flux, weight ratio), R3 (CaCl2/NaCl, molar ratio), soaking temperature and soaking period. The results were as follows; (1) Monticellite crystals had a maximum size of 32×41×95μm (euhedral prismatic, colorless) when soaked at 1150°C for 18h with R1=0.5 and R2=0.014. (2) Åkermanite crystals had a maximum size of 6.0×6.0×0.5mm (plate, colorless) when soaked at 1100°C for 12h with R1=2.0, R2=0.02 and R3=0.025.