Enhanced negative thermal expansion property in (KMg)xSc2-x(WO4)3 ceramics synthesized by solid–state reaction

Negative thermally expanded (NTE) (KMg) x Sc 2-x (WO 4 ) 3 (0 = x ≤ 1.5) ceramics have been prepared via solid-state reaction. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis reveals that (KMg) x Sc 2-x (WO 4 ) 3 undergoes a composition-induced phase transition as the (KMg) 3+ -substitution content increases. For x = 0.25, both hexagonal (KMg) x Sc 2-x (WO 4 ) 3 and orthorhombic Sc 2 (WO 4 ) 3 coexisted in the sample. For 0.25 < x ≤ 1, a single-phase, hexagonal (KMg) x Sc 2-x (WO 4 ) 3 , was obtained. When x is further increased to 1.25, monoclinic MgWO 4 impurity was detected in the sample. Meanwhile, as x increases, the grain size of (KMg) x Sc 2-x (WO 4 ) 3 ceramics grows up. Hexagonal (KMg) x Sc 2-x (WO 4 ) 3 ceramics show high densification and strong NTE property. Thermomechanical analysis indicates that the linear coefficients of thermal expansion (CTEs) of hexagonal (KMg) x Sc 2-x (WO 4 ) 3 ceramics decrease from −7.48 × 10 −6  °C −1 to −14.06 × 10 −6  °C −1 with the increase of x. High-temperature XRD analysis reveals that hexagonal (KMg) 0.5 Sc 1.5 (WO 4 ) 3 show an anisotropic NTE. The intrinsic linear CTEs are α a  = α b  = −6.74 × 10 −6  °C −1 , α c  = 11.03 × 10 −6  °C −1 and the volumetric CTE is α v  = −2.52 × 10 −6  °C −1 .