Reactivity in the Solid State: Some Present Results and Future Aspects Mainly Relating to its Practical Applicability

JSGT 1956 V40 T405-T412

Shortly before the turn of the century Spring, Cobb and Roberts-Austen made some isolated experiments which indicated the possibility that transport of matter could take place even in the solid state. Systematic researches in this so far unexplored field of chemistry were started in the early years of the present century, at which time, however, the precise information about crystal lattices which X-ray crystallography affords was still unavailable. A series of oxides were selected for these experiments. A fortunate chance, one might say nowadays, having regard to the considerable practical importance of these reactions and systems in many fields. These 'surveying' experiments in the new field of chemistry gave results which in those days meant wholly new theoretical and practical approaches.

J. A. Hedvall