Hydrothermal alteration minerals in Aluto Langano geothermal wells, Ethiopia

Aluto Langano geothermal field is characterized by alteration mineral assemblages of calcite, quartz, chlorite, undifferentiated clays, hematite, biotite and epidote. The presence of garnet and sphene is also reported for one of the wells. Measured temperature for the reservoir is above 300°C. Permeability of the reservoir is highly influenced by the deposition of hydrothermal minerals.     

Geology and fluid chemistry of the Fushime geothermal field, Kyushu, Japan

The Fushime geothermal field is located in a depression close to the coast line. The system is characterized by very high reservoir temperature (>350°C), and a high salinity production fluid. Geological analysis shows that the main reservoir in this field occurs in a fractured zone developed around a dacite intrusion located in the center of the field. High permeability zones recognized by drilling data are found to be associated with fault zones. One of these zones is clearly associated with a NW–SE trending andesite dike swarm which was encountered in some wells.Alteration in the system can be divided into four zones, in order of increasing temperature, based on calcium–magnesium aluminosilicate mineral assemblages: i.e., the smectite, transition, chlorite and epidote zones. The feed zone is located in the chlorite and epidote zones, which can be further divided into three sub-zones according to their potassium or sodium aluminosilicate mineralogy, from the center of the discharge zone: K-feldspar–quartz, sericite–quartz, and albite–chlorite zones.Chloride concentration of the sea-water is 19,800 mg/l, and Br/Cl mole ratio is 1.55. Based on geochemical information, the reservoir chloride concentration of this field ranges from 11,600 to 22,000 mg/kg. The Clres (Cl in reservoir), Br/Cl ratios and stable isotope data indicate that the Fushime geothermal fluid originated from sea-water and is diluted by ground water during its ascent. Some fluids produced from geothermal wells show low pH (about 4). It is thought that sulfide mineral (PbS, ZnS) precipitation during production produces this acidic fluid.     

Hydrothermal alteration in the Aluto-Langano geothermal field, Ethiopia

The hydrothermal mineral assemblages found in eight wells (with a depth range of 1320–2500 m) of the active geothermal field of Aluto-Langano (Ethiopia) indicate a complex evolution of water-rock interaction processes. The zone of upflow is characterized by high temperatures (up to 335°C) and the presence of a propylitic alteration (epidote, calcite, quartz and chlorite, as major phases) coexisting with calcite and clay minerals. The zone of lateral outflow is characterized by mixing of deep and shallow waters and the occurrence of a calcite-clay alteration that overprints a previous propylitic assemblage. Clay minerals have a mushroom-shaped zonal distribution consistent with the present thermal structure of the field. Microprobe analyses have been carried out on chlorite and illite in order to apply several geothermometers. Most of the chlorite is iron-rich chlorite. It is found that the temperatures calculated from the chlorite geothermometer (159–292°C) after Cathelineau and Nieva [Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 91, 235–244 (1985)] are in good agreement with in-hole measured temperatures (155–300°C). In the upflow zone, temperatures calculated from this geothermometer (217–292°C), together with fluid inclusion data of Valori et al. [Eur. J. Mineral. 4, 907–919 (1992)], and computed saturation indices of alteration minerals, indicate thermal stability or slight heating. On the other hand, evidence of a significant cooling process (up to 171°C) in the outflow zone is provided by the comparison between fluid inclusion homogenization temperature (240–326°C) and in-hole temperature (155–250°C). The apparent salinities (0.8–2.3 wt% NaCl eq.) of the fluid inclusions are generally higher than the salinity of the present reservoir fluid (0.29–0.36 wt% NaCl eq.). Clay minerals (illite, smectite, Ill/S mixed layers, vermiculite and chloritic intergrades) generally occur at temperatures consistent with their stability fields.     

Genesis of the plutonic-hydrothermal system around quaternary granite in the kakkonda geothermal system, Japan

The Kakkonda plutonic-hydrothermal system has as its heat source the Quaternary Kakkonda granite. The Kakkonda granite has a thick (1.3 km) contact-metamorphic zone, known mainly from the geothermal survey well WD-1a (total depth: 3729 m) drilled by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). The Kakkonda granite is a stock several tens of square kilometers in area with an upper contact about 1.5–3 km deep. It is a composite pluton varying from tonalite to granite. The early-stage granitic rocks are slightly metamorphosed to biotite grade by late-stage granitic rocks. K-Ar ages of separated minerals from the granitic rocks in both stages show the same cooling ages of 0.24–0.11 Ma for hornblende, 0.21–0.02 Ma for biotite, and 0.14–0.01 Ma for potassium feldspar. These are the youngest ages for granite in the world. The K-Ar ages become almost zero at 580°C for biotite and potassium feldspar, and at 350°C for illite. The Kakkonda granite intruded into a regional stress field in which the minimum principal stress was ENE–WSW and nearly horizontal. The regional stress field coincides with that of a previously recognized F2 fracture system before 0.4–0.3 Ma. Both stages of the Kakkonda granite and the contact aureole are fractured by recent tectonism, resulting in a zone of hydrothermal convection from about 2.5–3.1 km depth up to the surface. The boundary between the zone of hydrothermal convection and the underlying zone of heat conduction occurs 250–550 m below the upper contact of the Kakkonda granite, and has a temperature of 380–400°C.     

Routine instrumental procedures to characterise the mineralogy of modern and ancient silica sinters

Tightly constrained determinative methods can be used to characterise the silica minerals (opal-A, opal-CT, opal-C, quartz, moganite) and physical properties of silica sinters. Optimal X-ray powder diffraction operating parameters indicate silica lattice order/disorder using untreated, dry, <106 μm powders scanned at 0.6° 2θ/min with a step size of 0.01° from 10–40° 2θ and an internal Si standard. Simultaneous differential thermal and thermogravimetric analysis of 15.0±0.1 mg sinter samples of <106 μm grain size, at a heating rate of 20°C/min in dry air, identify thermal events associated with dehydration, organic combustion, and changes of state. Where abundant organic matter is present, nitrogen is the preferred atmosphere for thermal analysis. Thermogravimetric-determined water contents of sinters differ from Penfield determinations reflecting the differing nature of the two techniques. Laser Raman microprobe techniques can be used to explore the mineralogy of particular sinter morphologies and habits down to 10 μm diameter. The nature of the silica species present can assist in characterising individual sinter deposits and, combined with textural, density and/or porosity determinations, can lead to a better understanding of the hydrology and paleohydrology of a geothermal prospect.     

Thermal and petrologic study of the CH-A well from the Chipilapa-Ahuachapán geothermal area, el salvador

Systematic petrological studies were performed at 10-m intervals along the 2700-m-deep Ch-A well. Results show mineralogical variations that define four zones which, in turn, represent different thermal zones. The shallowest zone (Zone l) is characterized by the presence of chalcedony + zeolites + amorphous silica + saponite + montmorillonite + minor amounts of pyrite and calcite; Zone 2 by chlorite + quartz + smectite + zeolites; Zone 3by chlorite + quartz + calcite + epidote + abundant pyrite and hematite + mixed-layeredillite-smectite + chalcopyrite; andZone4 byepidote + clinozoisite + gypsum + sericite + mixed-layered chlorite-illitesmectite + anyhdrite. Fluid inclusion analyses performed at 100-m intervals indicate that a low-to-moderate salinity fluid with ice-melting temperatures of -0.7 to -2.2°C was involved in the hydrothermal alteration of the rocks. At shallow depths, positive values of + 1.6°C were found, which probably indicate an increase in volatile components. Minimum homogenization temperatures gradually increased with depth. They range from 110°C at very shallow depths (153 m) to 244°C at total depth (2700 m); however, peak or maximum temperatures of 265–286°C are found at various depths between 1400 and 2500 m. Bottom-hole fluid inclusion temperatures agree well with static temperatures derived from the Homer (1951) and the Ascencio et al. (1994) methods. Comparisons at other depths show that, in general, Homer temperatures are the lowest and that fluid inclusion temperatures are the highest, except at about 1200 m depth where the Ascencio et al. (1994) method gives the largest values. It is believed that well Ch-A encountered a mineral paragenesis that does not correspond with present thermodynamic conditions of the reservoir and that the geothermal system has undergone natural cooling.     

Hydrogeological and isotopic survey of geothermal fields in the Buyuk Menderes graben, Turkey

The main high and low enthalpy geothermal fields in the Buyuk Menderes graben (Western Anatolia) and their reservoir temperatures are as follows: Kizildere (242 °C), Germencik (232 °C), Aydin-Ilicabasi (101 °C), Yılmazkoy (142 °C), Salavatli (171 °C), Soke (26 °C), Denizli -Pamukkale (36 °C), Karahayit (59 °C), Golemezli (101 °C) and Yenice (70 °C). The geothermal systems are controlled by active graben faults. The reservoir rocks in the geothermal fields are the limestone and conglomerate units within Neogene sediments and the marble-quartzite units within Paleozoic metamorphic formations. There are clear δ¹⁸O shifts from the Mediterranean Meteoric Water Line (MMWL) in the Kizildere, Germencik and Aydin fields, where a good relation between high temperatures and δ¹⁸O shift has also been observed, indicating deep circulation and water rock interactions. In the Pamukkale, Karahayit, Golemezli and Yenice fields and in Soke region, low temperatures, small isotope shifts, shallow circulations and mixing with shallow cold water have been noted.     

Hydrothermal mineral zones in the geothermal reservoir of Cerro Prieto

Detailed petrologic studies completed to date on ditch cuttings and core from 23 wells in the Cerro Prieto field have led to recognition of regularly distributed prograde metamorphic mineral zones. The progressive changes in mineralogy exhibit a systematic relationship with reservoir temperature.The Cerro Prieto reservoir consists of a series of sandstones, siltstones, and shales composing part of the Colorado River delta. The western part of the field contains relatively coarser sediments apparently also derived from the delta and not from the basin margins as formerly thought. The most abundant detrital minerals in the sediments include quartz, feldspar, kaolinite, montmorillonite, illite, chlorite, mixed-layer clays, calcite, dolomite and iron hydroxides. Some of these minerals were also formed diagenetically.The following progressive stages of post-depositional alteration in response to increasing temperature have been observed: (1) diagenetic zone (low temperature), (2) illite-chlorite zone (above ~ 150°C), (3) calc-aluminum silicate zone (above ~ 230°C) and the biotite zone (above ~ 325°C). These zones are transitional to some degree and can be further subdivided based on the appearance or disappearance of various minerals.One immediate application of these studies is the ability, from a study of cuttings obtained during drilling of a well, to predict the temperatures which will be observed when the well is completed.     

Assessment of reservoir temperatures of thermal springs of the northern areas of Pakistan by chemical and isotope geothermometry

Chemical and isotope geothermometers, i.e. the Na–K, K–Mg, quartz and δ¹⁸O(SO₄–H₂O), have been applied to estimate the reservoir temperature of the thermal springs in the northern areas of Pakistan. The chemical types of the thermal waters and the effects of mixing of shallow cold water with the thermal end-members are discussed. These waters are neutral to slightly alkaline and have low dissolved contents. Sodium is the dominant cation in almost all the cases. In terms of anions, the hot waters of Budelas are of the SO₄ type, those of Tatta Pani are of mixed character (SO₄ and HCO₃), and the waters from the remaining areas show HCO₃ domination. An absence of tritium in Tatta Pani and Tato thermal springs indicates that they do not have any contribution of shallow young water. In the case of the Murtazabad springs, the wide range of tritium concentrations, negative correlations with surface temperature and Cl, and positive correlation between Na and Cl show that the shallow cold groundwater is mixing with thermal water in different proportions. For the mixed water of Murtazabad thermal springs, ‘isochemical modelling’ using the Na–K, K–Mg and quartz geothermometers indicates an equilibrium temperature in the range 185–200 °C. The δ¹⁸O(SO₄–H₂O) geothermometer gives relatively low temperatures for three springs, whereas two samples are close to the 185–200 °C temperature interval. The reservoir temperatures of Tatta Pani springs (100–120 °C), determined by Na–K and quartz geothermometers, are in good agreement. The δ¹⁸O(SO₄–H₂O) geothermometer gives a relatively higher range (140–150 °C) for most of the Tatta Pani springs. For Tato spring, the isotope and chemical geothermometers (except for the K–Mg) agree on an equilibrium temperature of about 170 °C. Reservoir temperatures of the remaining minor fields are not conclusive due to the lack of sufficient data.     

Geothermal development in Hungary—country update report 2000–2002

This paper describes the status of geothermal energy utilization—direct use—in Hungary, with emphasis on developments between 2000 and 2002. The level of utilization of geothermal energy in the world increased in this period and geothermal energy was the leading producer, with 70% of the total electricity production, of all the renewable energy sources (wind, solar, geothermal and tidal), followed by wind energy at 28%. The current cost of direct heat use from biomass is 1–5 US¢/kWh, geothermal 0.5–5 US¢/kWh and solar heating 3–20 US¢/kWh. The data relative to direct use in Hungary decreased in this period and the contribution of geothermal energy to the energy balance of Hungary, despite significant proven reserves (with reinjection) of 380 million m³/year, with a heat content of 63.5 PJ/a at ΔT=40 °C, remained very low (0.25%). Despite the fact that geothermal fluids with temperatures at the surface higher than 100 °C are available, no electricity has been generated. As of 31 December 2002, the geothermal capacity utilised in direct applications in Hungary is estimated to be 324.5 MW_t and to produce 2804 TJ/year. Geothermal heat pumps represent about 4.0 MW_t of this installed capacity. The quantity of thermal water produced for direct uses in 2002 was approximately 22 million m³, with an average utilization temperature of 31 °C. The main consumer of geothermal energy is agriculture (68% of the total geothermal heat dedicated to direct uses). The geothermal water is used only in five spas for space heating and sanitary hot water (SHW), although there are 260 spas in the country, and the thermal water produced has an average surface temperature of 68 °C. The total heat capacity installed in the spas is approximately 1250 MW_t; this is not provided by geothermal but could be, i.e., geothermal could provide more than three times the geothermal capacity utilized in direct uses by 31 December 2002 (324.5 MW_t).     

Electrical properties of Mg-doped Gd0.1Ce0.9O1.95 under different sintering conditions

Ce_0.9Gd_0.1O_1.95 with various Mg doping contents was synthesized by citric acid-nitrate low temperature combustion process and sintered under different conditions. The crystal structures, microstructures and electrical properties were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and ac impedance spectroscopy. Low solubility of Mg²⁺ in Ce_0.9Gd_0.1O_1.95 lattice was evidenced by XRD and FESEM micrographs. The samples sintered at 1300 °C exhibited the higher total conductivity than those sintered at 1100 and 1500 °C, with the maximum value of 1.48 × 10⁻² S cm⁻¹ (measured at 600 °C) at the Mg doping content of 6 mol%, corresponding to the minimum total activation energy (E_tol) of 0.84 eV (150–400 °C). The effect of Mg doping on the electrical conductivity was significant particularly at higher sintering temperatures. At the sintering temperature of 1500 °C, the addition of Mg (10 mol%) enhanced the grain boundary conductivity by over 10² times comparing with that of undoped Ce_0.9Gd_0.1O_1.95, which may be explained by the optimization of space charge layer due to the segregation of Mg²⁺ to the grain boundaries.     

Thermoelectric properties of porous SiC/C composites

We developed a porous SiC/C composite by oxidizing a SiC/C composite made from a mixed powder of wood charcoal and SiO₂ (32–45 μm) by pulse current sintering at 1600 and 1800 °C under a N₂ atmosphere. The microstructures of the porous SiC/C composites with oxidation and the SiC/C composites without oxidation were analyzed by Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Raman spectra revealed the disappearance of excess carbon and the presence of β-SiC. The porous microstructure was monitored by SEM observation as a function of the heat treatment temperature. The thermoelectric properties of porous SiC/C composites with oxidation and SiC/C composites without oxidation were investigated by measuring the Seebeck coefficient, the electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity. The Seebeck coefficient of all samples revealed n-type conduction, and the absolute value of the Seebeck coefficient for the porous SiC/C samples with oxidation was much larger than that for the SiC/C samples without oxidation. For the electrical conductivity the reverse is true. Only the thermal conductivity of the SiC/C sample heated to 1800 °C without oxidation was high initially and stayed rather high. In general, the thermoelectric properties improved at higher measurement temperatures indicating their suitability for high-temperature thermoelectric conversion. A maximum figure of merit of 2.01×10⁻⁵ K⁻¹ was obtained at 700 °C in porous SiC/C samples sintered at 1800 °C with oxidation.     

Hydrothermal alteration and fluid inclusion geothermometry of los humeros geothermal field, Mexico

The Los Humeros geothermal field, located in Puebla State, Mexico, occurs in a caldera; drillholes to 3000 m depth encountered a sequence of Quaternary lavas and pyroclastic rocks that range in composition from rhyolite to basalt but are dominantly andesitic. These rest upon the local basement comprising limestone and siltstone of Cretaceous age, which was encountered below 2500 m in the northern part of the field and 1000 m in its southern part.Examination of 29 cores, mostly from below 900 m depth, from 14 wells show that the hydrothermal minerals that occur in the volcanic host rocks include quartz, calcite, epidote, amphibole, sericite, smectite, illite, chlorite, biotite, pyrite and hematite. Their distribution mainly reflects the prevailing hydrological and thermal regime where temperatures locally exceed 300°C. The limestone basement rocks, however, have altered to an assemblage that includes calcite, quartz, wairakite, garnet, wollastonite, parawollastonite, sericite and fluorite.The homogenization temperatures of 356 fluid inclusions were measured and the freezing temperatures of 200 determined. All except two sets of inclusions homogenized into the liquid phase and neither daughter minerals nor a clathrate phase were seen. The homogenization temperatures mostly match measured bore temperatures that range from 250 to 360°C and the apparent salinities are from 0.2 to 2.7 weight per cent NaCl equivalent, but some contribution to freezing point depression by CO₂ is likely.A preliminary model for the hydrology of the field based upon the hydrothermal alteration mineralogy and fluid inclusion data suggests that dilute hot water ascends via faults in the Central Caldera collapse area of the field and moves laterally outward to elsewhere within the caldera.     

Low- to medium-temperature geothermal reserves in Mexico: a first assessment

In this work we make a first, partial, assessment of the low- to medium-temperature geothermal reserves of Mexico. The assessment covers about 30% of the identified geothermal surface manifestations. For reserve assessment we use the volume method, supplemented by Montecarlo simulations and statistics, in order to quantify the inherent uncertainties. We estimate these reserves as lying between 7.7 × 10¹⁶ and 8.6 × 10¹⁶ kJ, with 90% confidence. The distribution of most likely reservoir temperatures is in the 60–180 °C range, with a mean of 111 °C. These massive amounts of recoverable energy and the associated temperatures are potentially important for the economic development of the associated geothermal localities.     

Fructose decomposition kinetics in organic acids-enriched high temperature liquid water

Biomass continues to be an important candidate as a renewable resource for energy, chemicals, and feedstock. Decomposition of biomass in high temperature liquid water is a promising technique for producing industrially important chemicals such as 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF), furfural, levulinic acid with high efficiency. Hexose, which is the hydrolysis product of cellulose, will be one of the most important starting chemicals in the coming society that is highly dependent on biomass. Taking fructose as a model compound, its decomposition kinetics in organic acids-enriched high temperature liquid water was studied in the temperature range from 180 °C to 220 °C under the pressure of 10 MPa to further improve reaction rate and selectivity of the decomposition reactions. The results showed that the reaction rate is greatly enhanced with the addition of organic acids, especially formic acid. The effects of temperature, residence time, organic acids and their concentrations on the conversion of fructose and yield of 5-HMF were investigated. The evaluated apparent activation energies of fructose decomposition are 126.8 ± 3.3 kJ mol⁻¹ without any catalyst, 112.0 ± 13.7 kJ mol⁻¹ catalyzed with formic acid, and 125.6 ± 3.8 kJ mol⁻¹ catalyzed with acetic acid, respectively, which shows no significant difference.     

High-temperature measurements in well WD-1A and the thermal structure of the kakkonda geothermal system, Japan

The New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) drilled well WD-1a between 1994 and 1995 in the Kakkonda geothermal field as part of their Deep Seated Geothermal Resources Survey project. High-temperature measurements were carried out in WD-1a. Logging temperatures above 414°C were confirmed at 3600 m and 3690 m depth after 82 h standing time. Simple Horner extrapolations based on observed temperatures up to 82 h after shut-in suggested a temperature of about 500°C at 3500 m depth. Temperatures between 500°C and 510°C were also confirmed at 3720 m depth after 129–159 h standing time, using calibrated melting .tablets. These are the highest temperatures measured in a geothermal well. These results suggest a thermal structure consisting of three layers. Layer one is a shallow permeable zone of the reservoir, at less than 1500 m depth, at 230°C to 260°C. The second layer is a deep zone of the reservoir, which is less permeable and has a temperature of 350°C to 360°C from 1500 m to about 3100 m depth. The third layer is a zone of heat conduction. The transition between the hydrothermal-convection zone and the deeper heat-conduction zone is at 3100 m depth in well WD-1a.     

Potential for developing small geothermal power stations in peru

Peru is located on the central-western side of South America. Its area is estimated to be 1,200,000 km², between the parallels 0°01′ North 18°20′ South, and the meridians 68°40′ and 81°20′ West, along the Pacific Ocean.The Cordillera de Los Andes is the mountain system which forms the backbone of Peru. It divides the country longitudinally into three sharply contrasted regions, the coastal zone, the sierra and the jungle. The southern zone is characterized by a post-orogenic volcanism which developed along the Cordillera Occidental where the chain of volcanic cones was mainly formed during this volcanic cycle (Upper Tertiary and Quaternary); on the other hand the Central-North zone is characterized by a sedimentary sequence which mainly presents a strong tectonism.Thermal waters can be found in the three natural regions, with temperatures varying from 16 to 92°C, all along the two Cordilleras, Western and Eastern.     

Induced micro-seismicity during well discharge: OW-719, Olkaria, Kenya rift

A micro-seismic survey was carried out in concurrence with reservoir interference tests around Olkaria well 719, which has a mass output of 140–160 ton/h. The correlation between output and micro-seismicity shows that the seismic intensity peaks have a time lag of 6 to 11 days behind the mass output peaks. Seismicity spreads from the well bore in two major directions, a faster NE–SW trend at about 0.6 m/h and a slow NW–SE trend at about 0.4 m/h. These rates are comparable to those obtained by injecting organic tracers and monitoring in adjacent wells. Fluid feeder zones are at 1300–1400 m and 1600–1800 m depth and are coincident with contacts between different lithologies that provide capping and horizontal permeability. A possible NNE–SSW trending barrier to fluid flow has been observed between OW-719 and OW-718 wells.     

A high performance intermediate temperature fuel cell based on a thick oxide–carbonate electrolyte

A high performance intermediate temperature fuel cell (ITFC) with composite electrolyte composed of co-doped ceria Ce_0.8Gd_0.05Y_0.15O_1.9 (GYDC) and a binary carbonate-based (52 mol% Li₂CO₃/48 mol% Na₂CO₃), 1.2 mm thick electrolyte layer has been developed. Co-doped Ce_0.8Gd_0.05Y_0.15O_1.9 was synthesized by a glycine–nitrate process and used as solid support matrix for the composite electrolyte. The conductivity of both composite electrolyte and GYDC supporting substrate were measured by AC impedance spectroscopy. It showed a sharp conductivity jump at about 500 °C when the carbonates melted. Single cells with thick electrolyte layer were fabricated by a dry-pressing technique using NiO as anode and Ba_0.5Sr_0.5Co_0.8Fe_0.2O_3−δ or lithiated NiO as cathode. The cell was tested at 450–550 °C using hydrogen as the fuel and air as the oxidant. Excellent performance with high power density of 670 mW cm⁻² at 550 °C was achieved for a 1.2 mm thick composite electrolyte containing 40 wt% carbonates which is much higher than that of a cell based on pure GYDC with a 70 μm thick electrolyte layer.     

Optical and electrochemical properties of V2O5:Ta Sol–Gel thin films

Vanadium and tantalum-doped vanadium pentoxide, V₂O₅ and V₂O₅:Ta thin films (2.5 and 5 mol% of Ta) were prepared using sol–gel dip-coating technique.The coating solutions were prepared by reacting vanadium (V) oxytripropoxide and tantalum ethoxide (V) as precursors using anhydrous isopropyl alcohol as solvent.The films were deposited on a transparent glass substrate with ITO conducting film by dip-coating technique, with a withdrawal of 20 cm/min from the vanadium–tantalum solution and heat treated at 300 °C for 1 h. The resulting films were characterized by cyclic voltammetry, optical spectroscopy and by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). XRD data show that the films thermally treated at 300 °C were crystalline.A charge density of 70 mC/cm² was obtained for the film with 5 mol% of Ta, with an excellent stability up to 1500 cycles.