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A new phase transition at about the room temperature and irregular thermal behaviour in the metastable state of -irradiated Ferrocene

Research Authors
M. A. Gaffar and A. G. Hussien
Research Abstract

We were able to detect the following two characteristic features of ferrocene. The first is a new irreversible phase transition at about the room temperature. The second is a metastable state between 250 and 290 K. To reach these two results the thermal expansion of γ-irradiated ferrocene samples is studied in cooling-heating cycles between the liquid nitrogen temperature and 375 K. The existence of the phase transition already known at ∼ 164 K is confirmed in addition to the detection of an irreversible sharp peak at ∼ 300 K. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) confirms the results of the thermal expansion. A clear, in some cases sharp, exothermic peak is observed in both nitrogen and helium ambient. The dielectric permittivity (ε) and dielectric losses (tan δ) of γ-irradiated ferrocene crystallites are also measured with different frequencies in the temperature range 140-375 K in cooling-heating cycles. The results confirm the existence of the phase transition at 163.9 K in addition to the newly detected one at 300 K. Moreover, DSC and dielectric permittivity experiments show anomalous changes upon heating representing a metastable state of ferrocene between 250 and 290 K. The effect of different γ-doses up to 106 Gy on the position and characteristics of the newly detected phase transition and the metastable state of ferrocene is also considered.

Research Department
Research Journal
Radiation effects and defects in solids
Research Rank
1
Research Vol
Vol. 153
Research Year
2001
Research Pages
pp. 173-190