Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 January 2013
A systematic survey of phase formation in the Na2O-ZrO2-SiO2 system has revealed inconsistencies in the number and identity of ternary phases, and of their X-ray powder data. The phases Na2ZrSiO5, Na4Zr2Si3O12, Na2ZrSi2O7 and Na2ZrSi4O11 were prepared by solid-state reaction and their experimental X-ray diffraction patterns measured. Calculated X-ray diffraction patterns were generated by computer, using published crystallographic data, and critically compared with the experimentally observed values. The unit-cell constants were redefined to a greater accuracy than the presently accepted values published in the Powder Diffraction File. Only Na4Zr2Si3O12 produced an X-ray diffraction pattern which agreed with that previously published; those from the other phases were significantly different in both the intensities and positions of the reflections. Data for synthetic Na2ZrSi4O11 identical to the mineral vlasovite are reported.