Artificial Synthesis of Platelet-Like Kassite and Its Transformation to CaTiO(3)

Abstract

Platelet-like kassite, a rare mineral CaTi(2)O(4)(OH)(2), wits synthesized by a wet chemical route using Ca(OH)(2) and TiO(2) as reagents in base Solution. The microstructure of the obtained kassite examined by synchrotron radiation and Rietveld refinement are hexagonal (P312) with a = b = 0.52451(2) and c = 0.47844(3) nm. This cell is slightly different from JCPDS No. 88-1722. At heating above 500 degrees C, the layered crystalline kassite rearranges to form disk-like CaTiO(3) and amorphous TiO(2) by removing H(2)O completely. Furthermore, transmission electron microscopy analysis reveals that the vertical axis of disk-like CaTiO(3) along the [0 (2) over bar1] direction converts from that of [001] orkassite.