THE ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY OF MOLTEN OXIDES

Electrical conductivities of some molten oxides have been determined. In order of decreasing equivalent conductances at their melting points the oxides investigated were: Li 2 O, PbO, TeO 2 , MoO 3 , Bi 2 O 3 , V 2 O 5 , Sb 2 O 3 , and CrO 3 . The variation of the observed values of the specific conductivities, K, with the absolute temperature, T, can be described by an equation of the form, where A, B, C, etc. are constants. While the experimental data are adequately described by an equation of this form containing only the constants A and B, a slightly better fit is obtained using three constants. The conductivities of the molten oxides follow a pattern of variation from element to element which is substantially the same as that of the molten halides. For elements giving more than one oxide stable in the molten state, the oxide corresponding to the highest state of valency has the lowest conductivity.