The crystal structure and thermal expansion tensor of MgSO4–11D2O(meridianiite) determined by neutron powder diffraction

2008 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 207-221 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. D. Fortes ◽  
I. G. Wood ◽  
K. S. Knight
2004 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 82-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. G. Wood ◽  
Lidunka Vočadlo ◽  
K. S. Knight ◽  
David P. Dobson ◽  
W. G. Marshall ◽  
...  

The cementite phase of Fe3C has been studied by high-resolution neutron powder diffraction at 4.2 K and at 20 K intervals between 20 and 600 K. The crystal structure remains orthorhombic (Pnma) throughout, with the fractional coordinates of all atoms varying only slightly (the magnetic structure of the ferromagnetic phase could not be determined). The ferromagnetic phase transition, withTc≃ 480 K, greatly affects the thermal expansion coefficient of the material. The average volumetric coefficient of thermal expansion aboveTcwas found to be 4.1 (1) × 10−5 K−1; belowTcit is considerably lower (< 1.8 × 10−5 K−1) and varies greatly with temperature. The behaviour of the volume over the full temperature range of the experiment may be modelled by a third-order Grüneisen approximation to the zero-pressure equation of state, combined with a magnetostrictive correction based on mean-field theory.


1996 ◽  
Vol 60 (403) ◽  
pp. 963-972 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin S. Knight

AbstractThe thermal expansion tensor of crocoite has been determined from high-resolution neutron time-of-flight powder diffraction data. The temperature dependence of the lattice constants between 4.5 K and 290 K have been fitted to a quasi-harmonic Einstein model, and the temperature dependence of the thermal expansion tensor has been calculated for 60 K ≤ T ≤ 290 K. The magnitudes of the principal expansivities and their orientation exhibit saturation behaviour for temperatures above 300 K. The predicted saturated expansion coefficients are α11 = 33.1(1) × 10−6K−1, α22 = 15.72(3) × 10−6K−1, α33 = 3.36(1) × 10−6K−1, with α22 parallel to b and α11 lying at an angle of −37.86(5)° to c for the P21/n setting of the crystal structure. The direction of maximum expansion is approximately parallel to both and the least-squares line passing through the projection of the chromium atoms on (010). The direction of minimum expansion lies approximately parallel to [101]. No evidence was found for either a structural or magnetic phase transition between 4.5 K and 300 K.


2005 ◽  
Vol 105 ◽  
pp. 83-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Sitepu ◽  
Heinz Günter Brokmeier

The modelling and/or describing of texture (i.e. preferred crystallographic orientation (PO)) is of critical importance in powder diffraction analysis - for structural study and phase composition. In the present study, the GSAS Rietveld refinement with generalized spherical harmonic (GSH) was used for describing isostatically-pressed molybdite powders neutron powder diffraction data collected in the ILL D1A instrument. The results showed that for texture in a single ND data of molybdite the reasonable crystal structure parameters may be obtained when applying corrections to intensities using the GSH description. Furthermore, the WIMV method was used to extract the texture description directly from a simultaneous refinement with 1368 whole neutron diffraction patterns taken from the sample held in a variety of orientations in the ILL D1B texture goniometer. The results provided a quantitative description of the texture refined simultaneously with the crystal structure. Finally, the (002) molybdite pole-figures were measured using the GKSS TEX2 texture goniometer. The results showed that neutron diffraction is an excellent tool to investigate the texture in molybdite.


2007 ◽  
Vol 63 (6) ◽  
pp. 828-835 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dieter Schwarzenbach ◽  
Henrik Birkedal ◽  
Marc Hostettler ◽  
Peter Fischer

The structure of, and anisotropic thermal motions in, the red semiconductor tetrahedral layer structure of HgI2 have been studied with neutron powder diffraction as a function of temperature from 10 to 293 K. Average thermal displacement parameters U eq of the two atoms are comparable in size at 10 K, but U eq(Hg) increases considerably faster with temperature than U eq(I), the Hg—I bond being highly non-rigid. The anisotropic displacement tensor U (I) is strongly anisotropic with one term about twice as large as the others, while U (Hg) is nearly isotropic. All displacement tensor elements, except U 22(I), increase faster with temperature than harmonic quantum oscillator curves indicating a softening of the isolated-atom potentials at large amplitudes. A lattice dynamical model provides arguments that the anisotropic thermal motions of I are dominated by a soft mode with a wavevector at the [½ ½ 0] boundary of the Brillouin zone consisting essentially of coupled librations of the HgI4 tetrahedra, and by translations of the entire layer. The large vibration amplitudes of Hg suggest weak Hg–I force constants compared with the I–I force constants, allowing Hg to move quite freely inside the tetrahedra. The libration mode induces dynamic deformations of the Hg—I bond with twice its frequency. This provides a mechanism for the anharmonicity and may explain the lightening of the color from red to orange upon cooling at ca 80 K.


2000 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 255-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. J. Reece ◽  
S. A. T. Redfern ◽  
M. D. Welch ◽  
C. M. B. Henderson

AbstractThe crystal structure of a manganoan cummingtonite, composition [M4](Na0.13Ca0.41Mg0.46Mn1.00) [M1,2,3](Mg4.87Mn0.13)(Si8O22)(OH)2, (Z = 2), a = 9.5539(2) Å, b = 18.0293(3) Å, c = 5.2999(1) Å, β = 102.614(2)° from Talcville, New York, has been refined at high temperature using in situ neutron powder diffraction. The P21/m to C2/m phase transition, observed as spontaneous strains +ε1 = −ε2, occurs at ˜107°C. Long-range disordering between Mg2+ and Mn2+ on the M(4) and M(2) sites occurs above 550°C. Mn2+ occupies the M(4) and M(2) sites preferring M(4) with a site-preference energy of 24.6±1.5 kJ mol−1. Disordering induces an increase in XMnM2 and decrease in XMnM4 at elevated temperatures. Upon cooling, the ordered states of cation occupancy are ‘frozen in’ and strains in lattice parameters are maintained, suggesting that re-equilibration during cooling has not taken place.


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