Effect of Alteration Ratios of Magnesia and Alumina in Non-Stoichiometric Cordierite Composition Formulations (2.(8-n)MgO.1.(5+n)Al2O3.5SiO2) on Phase Transformation and Crystallization

This study focus on synthesis of α-phase cordierite using different non-stoichiometric cordierite composition through solid state reaction by adjusting the ratio of magnesia, MgO and alumina, Al2O3 in the cordierite composition formulation respectively. The qualitative and quantitative of phase analysis was carried out by X-ray diffractive (XRD) technique and Rietveld structural refinement method. Differential thermal analysis (DTA) was employed to investigate the crystallization behavior of various cordierite formulations as the function of temperature. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was also performed. Cordierite with formulation of 2.5MgO.1.8Al2O3.5SiO2 constitutes up to 96.4 wt% when the samples was sintered for 2 hours at the optimal temperature of 1375 °C. The SEM micrograph revealed that the approaching single α-Cordierite sample obtained densified body with well alignment of crystal structure.

Characterization of Cordierite Glass with the Addition Colorant Ceramic Glaze for FIR Therapy

α-Cordierite glass ceramic was synthesised through crystallization of glass compacts made of milled glass frits. The effect of temperatures and colorants were studied. The crystal structure of α-cordierite was analysed using X-ray diffraction technique and Rietveld structural refinement method. Density, porosity and shrinkage analysis, Vickers hardness and SEM were also performed. The result revealed that at higher sintering temperatures, the properties of α-cordierite was getting better. Low apparent porosity level and high hardness dense α-cordierite was fabricated at temperature 1350oC. The low porosity level may lead to high thermal conductivity which suggested that cordierite was candidates for FIR therapy instrumemts.________________________________________________________________________

Carbonization Effect on Phase Structures of Zirconium Oxides with 2-3 Percent Yttrium

Phase evolutions and structures of zirconium oxides with 2 percent yttrium before and after carbonization have been systemically studied with X-ray diffraction and Rietveld structural refinement. The carbonization decreases the structural stability of original ZrO2. According to the X-ray diffraction patterns, three phases with monoclinic, tetragonal and cubic structure coexist after carbonization. With increasing carbonizing temperature, the content of tetragonal phase in ZrO2with 2% mol Y2O3 doped increases，however, the phase content of monoclinic phase decreases. The content of tetragonal phase in ZrO2with 3% mol Y2O3doped increases greatly after carbonization. It implies that carbonization is beneficial for the formation of ZrO2tetragonal phase.

Rietveld structural refinement of «A» type phosphostrontium carbonate hydroxyapatites

Phosphostrontium carbonate hydroxyapatites having the general formula Sr10(PO4)6(OH)(2-2x)(CO3)x were prepared by solid gas reaction at different temperatures in the range 0 ≤ x ≤ 1. Infrared spectroscopy investigation reveals a carbonate groups substituting hydroxyl ions. Intensity bands increasing with the carbonate amount introduced in the lattice, while the one corresponding to hydroxyl decreases until disappearance. The Rietveld refinement of the structural model using X-ray powder diffraction patterns is used to determine the substitution rate. It was quantified by the refinement of the occupancy sites affected by the substitution. The crystallographic study shows the evolution of the atomic coordinate in the apatite due to the carbonate incorporation. The variation of the main interatomic distances and the bond angles was also discussed.

Preparation and Rietveld refinement of Ag-exchanged clinoptilolite

Fully exchanged Ag-clinoptilolite prepared at 100°C using 1 M solution of AgNO3 was studied. The initial sample (Beli Plast deposit, Bulgaria) was enriched in clinoptilolite by a sequence of treatments – crushing, sieving, sedimentation, and separation with heavy liquids to obtain a content of about 93 wt.% of clinoptilolite intergrown with opal-C. Opal-C was subsequently removed by chemical treatment. Maximum cation exchange was reached on the seventh day (4.86(4) Ag atoms per formula unit). Rietveld structural refinement was then carried out on the Ag-exchanged clinoptilolite, and three independent Ag sites were localated in the channels of the clinoptilolite structure. Seven water sites, coordinating the Ag sites, were located. Ag-clinoptilolite is, potentially, a promising low-cost antibacterial material.

Substitution Effect of Ta5+ by Nb5+ on Photocatalytic, Photophysical, and Structural Properties of BiTa1–xNbxO4(0 ≦ x≦ 1.0)

Substitution effects of Ta5+ by Nb5+ in BiTa1−xNbxO4(0 ≦ x ≧ 1.0) on photocatalytic, photophysical, and structural properties were investigated. The powder x-ray diffraction and Rietveld structural refinement showed that the structure of BiTa1−xNbxO4 at R = Nb/Bi = 0.0 and 0.5 is a triclinic system with space group P1. However, the structure at R = 0.2, 0.8, and 1.0 is an orthorhombic system with space group Pnna. Ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy measurement revealed that the band gap of orthorhombic samples is narrower than that of triclinic compounds. The H2 evolution was obtained from an aqueous CH3OH/H2O solution and pure H2O with BiTa1−xNbxO4 under ultraviolet irradiation. The orthorhombic samples exhibit much higher activity than that of triclinic compounds. The orthorhombic compound at R = 0.2 showed the highest activity, which is higher than that of the well-known TiO2 photocatalyst.