A new Peltier-cooled solid-state Si(Li) detector has been compared to a traditional scintillation detector/diffracted-beam graphite monochromator system in conventional X-ray powder diffraction applications. Parameters studied included absolute count rates, detector linearity, peak-to-background ratios, detection limits, fluorescent radiation elimination, and peak profile shapes. Comparisons were performed on a Siemens D-500 θ-2θ diffractometer using constant sample and nondetector instrumental parameters. Advantages of the Si(Li) detector include a significantly increased count rate (3.4 - 3.8 times), primarily due to the elimination of the graphite monochromator, slightly lower background count rates, and the ability to change the analysis energy quickly. The higher count rate and slightly lower background count rate of the Si(Li) detector allow collection of data more rapidly than possible with a scintillation detector/diffracted-beam monochromator system and yield improved peak-to-background ratios and detection limits. Significant disadvantages of the Si(Li) detector include pronounced deviation from linearity at low count rates, making accurate measurement of even moderate countrate peaks difficult, and detector shutdown due to 100% deadtime between 4 and 5 × 10 4 counts/s (cps). The Si(Li) detector and the scintillation detector/diffracted-beam monochromator system are comparable in terms of fluorescence radiation elimination, resolution, and peak shape, although it appears tfiat die diffracted-beam monochromator measurably reduces the low-angle portion of the half width of all reflections.

The usefulness of an X-ray powder diffraction data base, such as the one published by the International Centre for Diffraction Data, is largely dependent on continued additions of indexed powder patterns of single-phase materials of interest to data-base users. The single-phase character of a specimen is generally established by using known values of the unit cell constants to index all its powder pattern lines.

In this manuscript we describe indexing procedures based on crystal data which provide only relative values of the cell dimensions, rather than the absolute values usually considered to be essential to the indexing process. To the best of our knowledge, the use of such data for indexing powder diffraction patterns has generally been overlooked or ignored by X-ray crystallographers. We refer to the large numbers of goniometric measurements of crystals which have been published both before, and since, the discovery of X-ray diffraction. These provide useful descriptions of chemical and physical properties of crystals as well as measurements of relative dimensions of unit cell axes. The latter are presented in the form of a/b, b/b and c/b, together with the interaxial angle or angles, if the cell is nonorthogonal.

A compilation has been made of the X-ray powder diffraction patterns of the high Tc superconductor and related phases in the systems of Ba-R-Cu-O, Sr-R-Cu-O and Ca-R-Cu-O, where R = yttrium and lanthanides. In addition to the patterns of compounds found in these systems, other related compounds included are cation substitution products of the high Tc phases of Ba2RCu2O6+x, potential reaction products with different types of sample containers, and selected thin-film substrates. The International Centre for Diffraction Data/Powder Diffraction file (ICDD/PDF) coverage includes Sets 1 to 41. A cross correlation of these phases with those reported in Phase Diagrams For Ceramists (PDFC), has also been completed. Results of these efforts are tabulated.

Recent X-ray single-crystal diffraction studies have shown that CuFeSe2 crystallizes in the tetragonal system with space group P2c [, No. 112], Z = 4, with a =5.530(1) Å and c = 11.049(2) Å, c/a = 1.998. This material had been reported as pseudocubic with a =5.53 Å. The purpose of this paper is to present new X-ray powder diffraction data for CuFeSe2 and to compare the results with those reported for eskebornite, a mineral with ideal chemical composition CuFeSe2, and with those obtained from single-crystal structure data.

An X-ray powder-diffraction pattern for boracite, Mg3B7O13Cl, is reported. Boracite is orthorhombic, space group Pca21, and the refined unit-cell parameters are a=8.557(6), b=8.553(8), c= 12.09(1) Å. X-ray powder-diffraction patterns have been calculated for the boracite-group minerals boracite, ericaite, trembathite and congolite. The calculated pattern for boracite is in good agreement with the observed pattern reported here, but the PDF entry (5-710) for boracite is missing several intense peaks. The calculated pattern for ericaite is in poor agreement with the PDF entry (29-697) for ericaite, and PDF 29-697 is for congolite, not ericaite. The calculated powder patterns presented here for these four minerals will facilitate their identification via X-ray powder diffraction. © 1995 International Centre for Diffraction Data.

Crystallographic and X-ray powder diffraction data were derived from a sample of (Na0.5Bi0.5)TiO3 synthesized by standard ceramic techniques. The powder data were indexed on a monoclinic cell having the space group P2 or Pm, which differed from a previously reported rhombohedral cell.

Standardized experimental and calculated X-ray powder diffraction data for a new synthetic zeolite, cesium titanium silicate, CsTiSi2O6.5, are reported. In addition, a structure model in space group Ia3d (230), which is isomorphous with the mineral pollucite (CsAlSi2O6·xH2O), is proposed for CsTiSi2O6.5. This structure model is the basis of the reported calculated X-ray powder diffraction data for CsTiSi2O6.5. The experimental pattern for CsTiSi2O6.5 shows this compound crystallizes in a body-centered cubic (BCC) unit cell with a=13.8423 (1) Å. The measured value of the reference intensity ratio (I/Ic) of CsTiSi2O6.5 is 2.37, while the contrasting calculated value of I/Ic is 4.45. The experimental density (Dm) of CsTiSi2O6.5 is 3.48±0.09 g/cm3, in agreement with the calculated density (Dx) of 3.42 g/cm3. Chemical analysis of CsTiSi2O6.5 by atomic absorption spectroscopy gives its composition as 54±2 wt% Cs; 23±2 wt% Ti; 23±2 wt% Si, which compares favorably with the theoretical composition of 56 wt% Cs; 20 wt% Ti; 24 wt% Si.

Synthesis of high-purity, single-phase gallium nitride (GaN) powder has been achieved by reacting molten Ga with flowing ammonia (NH3) in a hot wall tube furnace. The optimum temperature, NH3 flow rate, and position of the boat in the hot wall tube furnace relative to the NH3 inlet for the complete reaction to pure GaN for our system were 975 °C, 400 standard cubic centimeters per minute (seem) and 50 cm, respectively. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) data revealed the GaN to be single phase with a = 3.1891 Å, c = 5.1855 Å, in space group P63mc, Z=2 and Dx =6.089 g cm−3. Scanning electron microscopy revealed a particle size distribution in the crushed material between 1 and 5 μm with most of the particles being ≍1 μm.

X-ray powder diffraction data and refined unit cell parameters for the (Bi, Pb)2Sr2Ca2Cu3Ox (2223) superconducting phase, indexed using incommensurate modulation principles, are reported. Comparison of the results obtained with one- and two-component modulation wave vectors showed that the two-component modulation wave vector is superior for indexing the satellite reflections. A two-component wave vector indexing result seems likely when only the powder diffraction data are considered.

A new X-ray powder diffraction pattern for α-Si3N4is presented and compared with the current PDF pattern. The necessity for an updated pattern is discussed.

New powder X-ray diffraction data of Ca12Al14O32F2 (C11A7f), a cementitious compound, were collected on a conventional X-ray powder diffractometer; the cubic cell parameter is a=11.96269(6) Å, volume 1711.93(2) Å3 (space group I-43d (No. 220)). The strongest lines are 4.887(100), 2.676(95), 2.992(46), 2.443(46), 2.185(37), 3.198(32), 1.599(26), and 1.941(25). Reported intensities are validated by Rietveld analysis. The new data consist of measured intensities and cover a wider 2θ angular range with respect to the calculated PDF 25-394 and the indexed PDF 36-678: experimental, calculated, and difference patterns are reported together with crystal-chemical considerations.

The indexed X-ray diffraction powder data of sodium triaqua-hexa-(nicotinato-tri-μ-oxo-tri-chromium(III) perchlorate) hexahydrate {Na [Cr3 O(C6H5NO2)6(H2 O)3] [ClO4]8·C6H5NO2·6H2O, NICCR} is reported. NICCR crystallizes in the hexagonal space group P63/m. The refined cell parameters were determined by employing a Siemens Debye-Scherrer camera (Fe Kā radiation, λmean= 1.93736 Å). The cell constants are a = 13.573(2), c = 24.901(5) Å, V = 3972.8 Å3 and Dx =1.68 Mg m-3 (Dm =1.67 Mg m-3). The quantitative figure of merit (FN) for NICCR is F27 = 32(0.010,81). The JCPDS Diffraction File No. is 36–1978.