Solid-solution formation between arsenic and antimony oxides

An X-ray diffraction study of arsenic-trioxide and antimony-trioxide samples encapsulated under vacuum and then held at 395 °C for 24 hours revealed that cubic arsenic trioxide dissolves into cubic antimony trioxide up to a limit between 12.9 and 19.0 wt pct As. It was also found that arsenic trioxide does not dissolve as readily into antimony tetroxide, although the upper limit could not be determined by the technique used. These findings have implications in terms of their effect on proposed thermal techniques for separating arsenic and antimony oxides.