The conductivity, structure and thermodynamics of (1−x)CsCl–xAl2O3 composites were investigated. Highly-dispersed alumina, with a specific surface area of 210m2/g, was used as an heterogeneous dopant. A maximum conductivity of 9 x 10−4S/cm, at 400C, was found for x = 0.6. As x increased, the conductivities of the body-centered cubic and face-centered cubic phases tended to saturate and, at x > 0.6, no conductivity drop due to phase transition occurred. The phase transition enthalpy decreased with x-value and, at x > 0.6, no body-centered cubic to face-centered cubic phase transition could be detected by differential scanning calorimetry. New peaks were observed in X-ray powder diffractograms and were attributed to a face-centered cubic phase with a lattice parameter of 0.694nm. At high x-values, a conductivity enhancement was thought to be due to the presence of the high-temperature face-centered cubic phase of CsCl; stabilized at CsCl/Al2O3 interfaces.

Effect of Nanocrystalline Alumina on Ionic Conductivity and Phase Transition in CsCl. N.F.Uvarov, L.I.Brezhneva, E.F.Hairetdinov: Solid State Ionics, 2000, 136-137, 1273-7