Published online by Cambridge University Press: 03 September 2012
Two new zeolitic crystalline phases with stoichiometry, CSTiSi2O6.5 and CS2TiSi6O15, have been discovered. CSTiSi2O6.5 has a crystal structure isomorphous tothe mineral pollucite, CsAlSi2O6, with Ti+4replacing Al+3. This replacement requires a mechanism for chargecompensation. A combination of techniques including neutron diffraction,single crystal x-ray diffraction and x-ray absorption spectroscopy haverevealed that eight extra oxygens are present per unit cell Cs2TiSi2O6.5 as compared to pollucite.As a result of the extra oxygen, the titanium coordination geometry isfive-fold. Pentacoordinate titanium and tetrahedral silicon form a networkstructure with Cs residing in cages formed by the network. The crystalstructure of Cs2TiSi6O15 is unique, withtitanium octahedra and silicon tetrahedra forming an open frameworkstructure with the Cs residing in large cavities. The largest covalentlybonded ring opening to the Cs cavities in both compounds are smaller than aCs ion, revealing that the Cs ion has minimal mobility in the structure.Cesium leach rates for both compounds are lower than or comparable toborosilicate glass.