CHEMICAL-PHASE DIAGRAMS FOR THE YBA2CU3O7 FAMILY

Phase diagrams for cuprates of alkaline earth and rare earth elements are reviewed, covering binary to quintenary oxides and including selected solid solution series with other elements. Basic crystal chemical data are included for most of the phases, whereas information on chemical properties is illustrated for YBa2Cu3O6+w as an example. Reactivity towards CO2, leading in the first step to a formation of oxide carbonates, is consistently pointed out as one of the possible reasons for contradictory results in phase diagrams which comprise oxides with high basicity.