- Lithium tantalate
Chembox new
Name = Lithium tantalate
ImageFile =
ImageName =
IUPACName = Lithium tantalate
OtherNames = Lithium Metatantalate
Section1 = Chembox Identifiers
CASNo = 12031-66-2
RTECS =
Section2 = Chembox Properties
Formula = LiTaO3
MolarMass = ? g/mol
Appearance =
Density = 7.46 g/cm³, solid
Solubility = ?/100 ml (25 °C)
MeltingPt = 1650 °C (1923 K)
BoilingPt =
Section3 = Chembox Structure
Coordination =
CrystalStruct =Trigonal
Section7 = Chembox Hazards
ExternalMSDS =
MainHazards =
RSPhrases =
Section8 = Chembox Related
OtherAnions = LiNbO3
OtherCations =
Function =salt s
OtherFunctn =Lithium tantalate (LiTaO3), is a crystalline solid which possesses unique
optical ,piezoelectric andpyroelectric properties which make it valuable for non-linear optics,passive infrared sensor s such asmotion detector s, terahertz generation and detection,surface acoustic wave applications, cell phones and possibly pyroelectric nuclear fusion. Considerable information is available from commercial sources about this crystal.Pyroelectric fusion
According to an April
2005 Nature article, Brian Naranjo, Jim Gimzewski and Seth Putterman atUCLA applied a large temperature difference to a lithium tantalate crystal producing a large enough charge to generate and accelerate a beam of deuterium nuclei into a deuteriated target resulting in the production of a small flux of helium-3 and neutrons through nuclear fusion without extreme heat or pressure. Their results have been replicated. [cite_journal | author = B. Naranjo, J.K. Gimzewski and S. Putterman | journal = Nature | title = Observation of nuclear fusion driven by a pyroelectric crystal | url= http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v434/n7037/abs/nature03575.html | issue = 434 |year = 2005 | month = April | pages=1115–1117 | doi = 10.1038/nature03575 | volume = 434 | format = abstract ]It is unlikely to be useful for electricity generation since the energy required to produce the fusion reactions exceeded the energy produced by them. It is thought that the technique might be useful for small neutron generators, especially if the deuterium beam is replaced by a tritium one. Comparing this with the
electrostatic containment ofionic plasma to achieve fusion in a "fusor " or other IEC, this method focuses electrical acceleration to a much smaller non-ionizeddeuterium target without heat.References
Further reading
* [http://www.physicsweb.org/articles/news/9/4/15/1 "Fusion seen in table-top experiment"] Physics Web, 27 April, 2005
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