In situ phase equilibria determination of a manganese ferrite by electrical means

Abstract

Electrical conductivity and thermoelectric power have been measured for a series of MnZn ferrites as functions of the oxygen partial pressure under high-temperature equilibrium conditions. The isothermal variation of both properties was successfully correlated to the onset of phase transitions at characteristic Po2's. The ferrite 0.482MnO-0.518Fe2O3 was examined in some detail to locate the stability fields of the metallic alloy of iron and manganese, manganowustite, the spinel ferrite, and the hematitelike phase, and to extract the appropriate free-energy data. The results confirmed by x-ray diffraction are in satisfactory agreement with literature data.