Characterization of Natural and Synthesized FeTiO3 Crystals With RBS/PIXE/XRD
Natural FeTiO 3 (illuminate) and synthesized FeTiO 3, single crystals were characterized by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy combined with channeling technique and particle-induced x-ray emission (RBS-C and PIXE). The results obtained by the ion beam analysis were supplemented by the x-ray diffraction analysis to identify the crystallographic phase. Oriented single crystals of synthesized FeTiO 3 were grown under the pressure control of CO 2 and H 2 mixture gas using a single-crystal floating zone technique. The crystal quality of synthesized FeTiO 3 single crystals could be improved by the thermal treatment but the exact pressure control is needed to avoid the precipitation of Fe 2 O 3 even during the annealing procedure. Natural FeTiO 3 contains several kinds of impurities such as Mn , Mg , Na and Si . The synthesized samples contain Al , Si and Na which are around 100 ppm level as impurities. The PBS-C results of the natural sample imply that Mn impurities occupy the Fe sublattice in FeTiO 3 or in mixed phase between ilmenite and hematite.