SOLID-SOLUTION FORMATION BETWEEN ARSENIC AND ANTIMONY OXIDES

An X-ray diffraction study of arsenic-trioxide and antimony-trioxide s amples encapsulated under vacuum and then held at 395 degrees C for 24 hours revealed that cubic arsenic trioxide dissolves into cubic antim ony trioxide up to a limit between 12.9 and 19.0 wt pet As. It was als o found that arsenic trioxide does not dissolve as readily into antimo ny tetroxide, although the upper limit could not be determined by the technique used. These findings have implications in terms of their eff ect on proposed thermal techniques for separating arsenic and antimony oxides.