Micro-structural defects in ruby samples from Mong Hsu, Myanmar

Abstract

Mong Hsu rubies from Myanmar were heat treated in oxidizing (oxygen) atmosphere at 1650oC for 1 hour. The investigations of the micro-structural defects in the samples before and after heat treatment have been carried out by the variety of analysis techniques of FTIR, UV-VIS-NIR and SEM-EDS. It was found that after heat treatment the dark blue cores region were disappeared and turned to orange red color with the presence of the dense cloudy brownish colored tiny particles in and near former blue zoning. As-received ruby samples only revealed the presence of FTIR absorption peaks of diaspore, boehmite and O-H stretching, at 1986, 2115 and 3078/3319 cm−1 , respectively. The UV-VIS-NIR absorption of asreceived and heat treated ruby samples similarly showed peaks at 405, 554 and 693 nm associated with Cr3+, but for the same samples, the absorption peak of heat-treated ruby samples at 693 nm was somewhat stronger than that of the untreated ruby samples. Especially the presence of Cr3+ peaks at 659 and 675 nm was found obviously in as-received ruby samples only. The SEM-EDS investigation disclosed the micro-porous defect structures commonly related to the core regions of the untreated ruby samples, which after heat treatment in an oxidizing environment those defect features have been dissolved into the host phase resulting in the lightening or disappearance of the dark coloration of ruby core.