A series of LiFe1−xZnxPO4 (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 1.0) compounds were prepared by solid-state reaction. Effects of the substitution of Zn for Fe on crystal structure and electrochemical properties of LiFe1−xZnxPO4 were investigated. The results show that single-phase regions of LiFe1−xZnxPO4 with orthorhombic (space group Pmna) and monoclinic (Cc) structures were found for the compounds with low Zn (or high Fe) contents of 0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.30 and high Zn (or low Fe) contents of 0.90 ≤ x ≤ 1.0, respectively. The LiFe1−xZnxPO4 compounds with medium Zn (or Fe) contents of 0.35 ≤ x ≤ 0.80 are two-phase mixtures containing both the orthorhombic and the monoclinic phases. Systematic variations of unit-cell parameters a, b, c, and volume V with the Zn content determined by X-ray diffraction have also been obtained. Our electrochemical study show that the conductivity of LiFe1−xZnxPO4 increases by almost 2 orders of magnitude from 2.13 × 10−9 to 1.27 × 10−7 Scm−1 as the Zn content increasing from x = 0 to 0.3. The initial specific capacity decreases and the cycle performance increase with increasing Zn-doping content in the four orthorhombic LiFe1−xZnxPO4 compounds. Among the four LiFe1−xZnxPO4 compounds, LiFe0.8Zn0.2PO4 has the highest capacity retentions after 6 to 20 cycles and the capacity retention is 93.7% after 20 cycles, even though the initial discharge specific capacity of LiFe0.8Zn0.2PO4 is lower than those of LiFeZnPO4 and LiFe0.9Zn0.1PO4. LiFe0.7Zn0.3PO4 has the highest capacity retention of 97% after 20 cycles.

A new method is introduced for the evaluation of experimental stress–strain dependence in thermally cycled thin films. The method is demonstrated on the analysis of an Al thin film on a Si(100) substrate characterized using in situ high-temperature X-ray diffraction 25–450 °C. Diffraction data are used to evaluate in-plane elastic strain in the film as a function of thermal strain originating from the mismatch of thermal expansion coefficients (TECs) between the film and the substrate. The magnitude of the thermal strain is calculated from experimental TECs of the film and the substrate at every measurement temperature. By relating in-plane stresses to thermal strains, an experimental stress–strain dependence for the Al thin film is obtained. The proposed method allows one to identify elastic behavior and to quantify plastic strain in the film. Finally, advantages of the method are discussed in particular its independence from using TECs reported in the literature.

Gemstones are pieces of materials that once cut and polished are used as jewels or adornments. Gemstones may be single crystal (such as diamonds), polycrystalline (such as lapis lazuli), or amorphous (such as amber). In any case, gems may have inclusions that may yield a variety of optic effects. It is also important to unravel the crystal structure of the inclusion(s) in order to determine the origin of the gem and to help to understand their formation mechanism. Here, we expand the use of powder diffraction to identify crystalline inclusions in bulk gemstones highlighting Mo Kα radiation to penetrate within compact gems. Initially, rock crystal quartz with rutile needles was investigated and rutile diffraction peaks were more conspicuous in the Mo pattern than in the Cu pattern. Next, rock crystal quartz with beetle legs was characterized and the red iron oxide inclusion was identified as hematite. The study of a fake gem, glass showing aventurine effect, gave the diffraction peaks of metallic copper. Later, polycrystalline gems, moss agate, and aventurine quartz were also studied. The powder patterns of these compact gemstones could be successfully fitted using the Rietveld method. Finally, we discuss opportunities for further improvements in laboratory powder diffraction to characterize inclusions in compact gems.

A suitable external standard method which was first described by O’Connor and Raven (1988) (“Application of the Rietveld refinement procedure in assaying powdered mixtures,” Powder Diffr. 3, 2–6) was used to determine the quantitative phase composition of a commonly used Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC). The method was also applied in order to determine amorphous contents in OPC. Also investigated were the impact of atomic displacement parameters and the microstrain on the calculated amorphous content. The investigations yielded evidence that said parameters do indeed exert an influence on the calculated amorphous content. On the basis of the data produced we can conclude that the method used is entirely to be recommended for the examination of OPC. No significant amorphous content could be proven in the OPC used.

Synthetic analogues of the minerals natisite and for the first time of paranatisite were prepared hydrothermally at 200 °C in the system Na2O–TiO2–SiO2–H2O. The obtained powder x-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns were interpreted by the Powder Data Interpretation (PDI) software package. As a result improved indexing and unit cell parameters refinements of these two phases were achieved. Synthetic natisite is tetragonal, space group—P4/nmm, a=0.649 67(8) nm, c=0.508 45(11) nm, V=0.214 50(10) nm3, Z=2, Dcal=3.13 g.cm−1, F30=37.48, M20=52.79. Synthetic paranatisite is orthorhombic, space group—Pmma, a=0.983 86(29) nm, b=0.919 23(19) nm, c=0.481 84(12) nm, V=0.435 78(19) nm3, Z=1, Dcal=3.01 g.cm−1, F30=16.42, M20=29.21.

So-called alite is a solid solution of tricalcium silicate Ca3SiO5 with a few percent of impurities. It constitutes the major phase of anhydrous Portland cement. In industrial compounds, alite crystallizes into two monoclinic forms designated M1 and M3. The possibility of correlation between the crystallographic structure of the clinker and its reactivity is still an open question. The answer of such a question involves a proper quantitative analysis of the various phases—including the exact alite polymorph—of the industrial product. The rather similar structure of the two alites makes it difficult to distinguish them from their XRD patterns. This paper shows that five angular windows in the X-ray diffraction patterns can be used with synthetic alites as well as industrial compounds, to identify the nature of the actual polymorph (M1 or M3) present and the structural model to be used (with or without superstructure) in subsequent Rietveld analysis of the data.

Two adducts (NH2CH2COOH)3⋅H2BeF4(TGFb) and (NH2CH2COOH)3⋅H2SeO4(TGSe) were obtained and characterized by X-ray powder diffraction. The samples were indexed using the TREOR program [Werner, Z. Kristallogr. Kristallogeom. Kristallphys. Kristallchem. 120, 375–387 (1964)] on a monoclinic unit cell. The lattice parameters of adducts TGFb and TGSe were refined by a least-squares method using the Lattice Constant Refinement Program of the Rikagu software. The refined lattice parameters are a=9.1589(9) Å, b=12.6204(13) Å, c=5.6966(8) Å, β=105.451(9)° for TGFb. The Smith and Snyder figure [Smith and Snyder, J. Appl. Crystallogr. 12, 60–65 (1979)] is F30=39.4(0.0141,54). The refined lattice parameters a=9.5063(11) Å, b=12.8281(10) Å, c=5.8682(7) Å, β=110.353(77)° for TGSe. The Smith and Snyder figure is F30=39(0.0106,73). The powder diffraction results are in agreement with those obtained from single crystal structure data.

Weight fractions of four dominant phases (C3S, C2S, C4AF and C3A) present in the NIST Reference Portland clinkers 8486, 8487 and 8488 were estimated by a series of Rietveld refinements. Calculated powder patterns were derived from the structural data for monoclinic C3S and C2S, orthorhombic C4AF and cubic C3A. X-ray diffraction data were collected in two laboratories with two diffractometers, a reflection and a transmission one. There were no significant differences between the results of the refinements based on the data sets collected on the machines with different experimental arrangements. Estimated phase compositions were compared to the reference values found by optical microscopy (MPC). Median agreement between refined and reference values within ±5% (absolute) was found only for 8488 clinker; for 8486 and C3A-rich 8487 it was within ±10% (absolute). In the majority of the refinements numerical instabilities were detected, leading to large correlations between FWHM and temperature parameters of some phases. The results obtained for C4AF were probably influenced by the presence of possible solid solutions with the structures close to that of C4AF. Weight fractions of low abundant C3A were estimated with the largest relative errors reaching in several cases ∼100%.

The 6,8-dimethyl-cis-2-vinyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[b]azepin-4-ol (2a) (Chemical formula C14H19NO) and 8-chloro-9-methyl-cis-2-(prop-1-en-2-yl)-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[b]azepin-4-ol (2b) (Chemical formula C14H18ClNO) were prepared via the reductive cleavage of the bridged N-O bond of the corresponding 1,4-epoxytetrahydro-1-benzazepines. The X-ray powder diffraction patterns for the new compounds were obtained. The compound 2a was found to crystallize in an orthorhombic system with space group Pmn21 (No. 31), refined unit-cell parameters a = 19.422(6) Å, b = 6.512(3) Å, c = 9.757(4) Å and V = 1234.0(5) Å3. The compound 2b was found to crystallize in a monoclinic system with space group P21/m (No. 11), refined unit-cell parameters a = 17.570(4) Å, b = 8.952(3) Å, c = 14.985(4) Å, β = 101.66(2)°, and V = 2308.3(9) Å3.

Rietveld refinement using synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction data revealed that the crystal structure of synthetic Na-birnessite is triclinic (C1), not monoclinic as was previously reported. The Mn–O octahedra have elongated axial bonds, consistent with Jahn–Teller distortion resulting from partial occupancy by Mn3+. Mean Mn–O distances indicate that Mn sites are ∼2/3 Mn4+ and ∼1/3 Mn3+. The interlayer Na cations and H2O molecules occupy a split site that shows evidence of considerable disorder.