Study of the thermal decomposition of the copper substituted cobalt hydroxide chloride series, β-CuxCo2−x(OH)3Cl, by high tempe

Thermal decomposition of several copper(II)-cobalt(II) hydroxide chlorides, β-Cu_xCo_2−x(OH)₃Cl (0.34 ⩽ x ⩽ 1.5) has been carried out in an evacuated high temperature X-ray diffraction chamber. The cubic spinel phase Cu_yCo_3−yO₄ and the cubic rock-salt phase (Cu,Co)O_ss are two of the intermediates that form during the decompositions, while cobalt metal or a mixture of cobalt and copper metals are obtained as final products, their relative amounts depending on the value of the stoichiometric coefficient x of the precursors.