Defect structure of alumina-rich nonstoichiometric magnesium aluminate spinel

In order to clarify the relation between the dissolution mechanism of hydrogen and the defect structure in alumina-rich nonstoichiometric magnesium aluminate spinels, several compositions of single crystals were grown by the flame fusion method and their compositional dependence of the solubility of hydrogen and that of the mass density were studied by the IR absorption and Archimedes methods, respectively. The solubility of hydrogen increased in proportion to the square root of the water partial pressure and with the increase in the excess amount of alumina. The densities of the single crystals were slightly less than the value calculated based on the reported defect structure. The compositional dependence of the solubility of hydrogen and that of the density can be explained by the model in which the concentration of the oxide ion vacancy increases with the alumina content due to the decrease in the capability of the Mg site to accept the excess Al ion.