Equilibrium properties ionic crystals

The resulting equilibrium concentrations of these point defects (vacancies and interstitials) are the consequence of a compromise between the ordering interaction energy and the entropy contribution of disorder (point defects, in this case). To be sure, the importance of Frenkel s basic work for the further development of solid state kinetics can hardly be overstated. From here on one knew that, in a crystal, the concentration of irregular structure elements (in thermal equilibrium) is a function of state. Therefore the conductivity of an ionic crystal, for example, which is caused by mobile, point defects, is a well defined physical property. However, contributions to the conductivity due to dislocations, grain boundaries, and other non-equilibrium defects can sometimes be quite significant. 

Alan Allnatt s research interests at Western Ontario have been concerned with the statistical mechanics of the transport of matter through crystals. His earliest work centered on obtaining methods for calculating the equilibrium distributions and thermodynamic properties of the point defects (vacancies, interstitials, solutes) that make transport possible. He first studied dilute systems, so the methods could be largely analytical. The methods for ionic crystals,... 

Most metals of practical importance are actually mixtures of two or more metals. Recall from Section 1.1.3 that these intimate mixtures of metals are called alloys, and when the bond between the metals is partially ionic, they are termed intermetallics. For the purposes of this chapter, and especially this section, we will not need to distinguish between an intermetallic and an alloy, except to note that when a compound is indicated on a phase diagram (e.g., CuAb), it indicates an intermetallic compound. We are concerned only with the thermodynamics that describe the intimate mixing of two species under equilibrium conditions. The factors affecting how two metal atoms mix has already been described in Section 1.1.3. Recall that the solubility of one element in another depends on the relative atomic radii, the electronegativity difference between the two elements, the similarity in crystal structures, and the valencies of the two elements. Thermodynamics does not yet allow us to translate these properties of atoms directly into free energies, but these factors are what contribute to the free energy of... 

Since the electron distribution function for an ion extends indefi-finitely, it is evident that no single characteristic size can be assigned to it. Instead, the apparent ionic radius will depend upon the physical property under discussion and will differ for different properties. We are interested in ionic radii such that the sum of two radii (with certain corrections when necessary) is equal to the equilibrium distance between the corresponding ions in contact in a crystal. It will be shown later that the equilibrium interionic distance for two ions is determined not only by the nature of the electron distributions for the ions, as shown in Figure 13-1, but also by the structure of the crystal and the ratio of radii of cation and anion. We take as our standard crystals those with the sodium chloride arrangement, with the ratio of radii of cation and anion about 0.75 and with the amount of ionic character of the bonds about the same as in the alkali halogenides, and calculate crystal radii of ions such that the sum of two radii gives the equilibrium interionic distance in a standard crystal. 

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