SINTERABILITY AND ELECTRICAL-CONDUCTIVITY OF CALCIUM-DOPED LANTHANUM CHROMITES

Calcium-doped lanthanum chromites, (La1-xCax) (Cr1-y Cay O3, have been synthesized to investigate effects of calcium doping on sinterability and electrical conductivity. X-ray diffractometric results have revealed that in addition to normal perovskites (La1-xCaxCrO3), chromium-deficient perovskites can exist as a single phase in the composition region 0.1 <x < 0.3, although the deficit of chromium is small. These chromium-deficient perovskites show a good sinterability even in air at 1873 K. Electrical conductivity of these perovskites has been measured as functions of temperature and oxygen potential. It has been found that electrical conductivity of the chromium-deficient perovskites increases almost linearly with total calcium content. The magnitudes of electrical conductivity are comparable to those of strontium-doped lanthanum chromites. © 1990 Chapman and Hall Ltd.