Nickel oxide and cobalt oxide have different types of crystal structure, rock salt type (NiOa
0=4.199A) and spinel type (Co
3O
4 a
0=8.138A), respectively. A mixture of these oxides forms a solid solution with a rock salt type structure, by being heated up to a transition temperature, which depends on the mixing ratio. The transition temperatures are found to be, for example, 400°C for Co1Ni5 oxide, 630°C for Co2Ni4 oxide, 750°C for Co3Ni3 oxide, 830°C for Co4Ni2 oxide, 870°C for Co5Nil oxide and 905°C for Co6 oxide. The lattice parameter of the oxide solid solution varies from 4.203A to 4.276A with the composition of cation, according to Vegard's law.
The annealing process of this solid solution was also investigated and separation of the spinel type from the rock salt type structure was observed. In the rock salt type crystal structure of Co4Ni2 oxide, the weight increases by about 1% in the annealing process at 500°C and electrical resistivity decreases from 10
6Ω to 10
1Ω. The changes of weight and electrical resistivity were discussed in relation to the variation of the lattice parameters of the rock salt and spinel type structures.
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