ABSTRACTPbSnF4 is the highest performance fluoride ion conductor known to date and is starting to be used for the fabrication of chemical sensors. Although several phase transitions have been reported, with conflicting results from different groups, the exact sequence of phase transitions versus temperature and the kinetics of the phase transformations remain unclear. We have prepared the three phases that can be stabilized at ambient temperature, i.e. o-, α- and β-PbSnF4, and studied the stability of each phase versus temperature. It appears that some of the phases transform very slowly to another under prolonged heating at constant temperature. This is very important since the conductivity is not necessarily the same for each phase, and therefore, a phase transition taking place slowly in the PbSnF4 used for the fabrication of a device, might not be detectable by a short time evaluation but, it could well alter its properties after prolonged use.
Kinetics of phase transitions in quark matter
