A New Route for the Synthesis of Pure Bi4(SiO4)3 Crystals by Glass Melt-Cooling Method

Pure eulytite Bi4(SiO4)3 crystals were prepared by high temperature melt cooling method using Bi2O3 and SiO2 as starting materials. In this study, the properties of the samples were characterized by thermo gravimetric (TG),differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results showed that eulytite Bi4(SiO4)3 was crystallized when high temperature glass-melt were cooled to 943°C and obvious exothermal peak is shown on the DSC curve; and pure eulytite Bi4(SiO4)3 crystals were synthesized by keeping the processing temperature for 8 hours. Bi4(SiO4)3 grains grew larger and the amount of vacancy increased along with the extension of holding time, while Bi4(SiO4)3 grains still presented a structure of partial ordering. Eulytite Bi4(SiO4)3 prepared through melt-cooling method is of high purity and good stability, and can be applied as starting materials of preparation of Bi4(SiO4)3 thin film and high quality Bi4(SiO4)3 macrocrystal.