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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 January 2013
Measurements of X-ray diffraction patterns of high-Tc superconductor and tungsten–carbide powder samples using a Bragg–Brentano diffractometer showed systematic variations of the intensities for different preparation conditions. For specimens with high surface roughness, an angle-dependent decrease of the intensities is observed which is caused by the microabsorption of the X-rays due to the microstructure of the powder sample. In Rietveld analysis, the thermal parameters are strongly influenced by this effect and may tend to negative values. A realistic description of the surface structure of flat powder samples is proposed. Using an analytical approximation for the microabsorption effect and its dependence on the microstructural parameters the Rietveld refinement yields reasonable values for the thermal parameters.