Supparesk Rittikulsittichai. Electron spin resonance study of Cr3+ and Fe3+ in heat-treated natural sapphire . Master's Degree(Physical Chemistry). Mahidol University. : Mahidol University, 2004.
Electron spin resonance study of Cr3+ and Fe3+ in heat-treated natural sapphire
Abstract:
Since heat treatment of sapphire can improve their value, study of various treatments
is useful for the jewel industry. Electron spin resonance spectra of untreated and heattreated
Tanzania red sapphire (ruby) at various temperatures were recorded in X-band
frequency (~9.05 GHz) by mounting the crystal with the c-axis both perpendicular and
parallel to the applied magnetic field direction. The spectra were recorded in the range of
0 to 180 degrees for every 15 degrees of rotation angle. In the case where the c-axis of the
crystal was perpendicular to the magnetic field, there were five main electron spin
resonance absorption peaks occurring at the resonance magnetic fields of about 86, 150,
300, 502 and 702 millitesla. The resonance magnetic fields of about 150 and 502
millitesla corresponded to Cr3+ ion replacing the Al3+ site of corundum structure, and those
of 86, 300 and 702 millitesla were assigned to the Fe3+ ion. When the ruby crystal was
rotated in 1010 -plane starting with its c-axis parallel to the magnetic field, the absorption
peaks were very complicated. One could not guess to which paramagnetic ions they
belong. This is due to the fact that the natural sapphire contains several impure ions.
However, some conspicuous peaks of Fe3+ and Cr3+ at various rotating angles were used
to calculate the spin Hamiltonian parameters by least-squares fit method with the help of a
computer program. The best spin Hamiltonian parameters were slightly adjusted for
simulation of the powder electron spin resonance spectra of Cr3+ and Fe3+.
The powder x-ray diffraction patterns revealed that all untreated and heat- treated
sapphires at 1200°, 1300°, 1400°, 1500° and 1600° C are predominantly single phase and
have hexagonal structure with R-3c symmetry. After heat treatment the unit cell
parameters a and c, including unit cell volume, tend to decrease as the heat treatment
temperature increases.
The change in color and lightness of the natural Tanzania ruby before and after heat
treatment in an oxygen atmosphere for 12 hours at 1200°, 1300°, 1400°, 1500° and 1600°
C subsequently were measured using the CIE L*a*b* color index. The ruby appears the
most intense red after heating at 1200° C, but higher temperatures process leads to slightly
bluish red instead. This may be concluded that Tanzania ruby attains the best quality when
subjected to the heat treatment at 1200° C.