Abstract
SINCE 1935 it has been generally accepted that gamma-ferric oxide has the structure of magnetite (spinel structure) with cation vacancies1. The vacancies were assumed to be randomly distributed on all octahedral iron sites of magnetite. Magnetite contains 8 molecules of Fe3O4 in the face-centred cubic unit cell and has the space group Fd3m. Gamma-ferric oxide contains 10 molecules of Fe2O3 in the unit cell. Due to the occurrence of a number of extra reflexions in the X-ray diagram of gamma-ferric oxide also occurring in the diagram of ordered lithium ferrite Fe8[Li4Fe12]O32, and to the fact that the material he used contained some water, P. B. Braun2 of this Laboratory suggested that in these gamma-ferric oxide specimens the same superstructure occurs as in ordered lithium ferrite. The ideal composition for ordering would be Fe8[H4Fe12]O32. For compositions between Fe8[H4Fe12]O32 and Fe8[(Fe□)Fe12]O32 the same superstructure reflexions were observed. (The square brackets [ ] denote the cations on octahedral sites, the ordinary brackets ( ) those on the Li-sites in ordered LiFe5O8.)
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References
Verwey, E. J. W., Z. Krist., A, 91, 65 (1935). Hägg, G., Z. phys. Chem., B, 29, 88 (1935). Kordes, E., Z. Krist., A, 91, 193 (1935).
Braun, P. B., Nature, 170, 1123 (1952).
British Patent 688903.
Collongues, R., thesis (Paris, 1957).
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VAN OOSTERHOUT, G., ROOIJMANS, C. A New Superstructure in Gamma-Ferric Oxide. Nature 181, 44 (1958). https://doi.org/10.1038/181044a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/181044a0
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