Thermal expansion of kyanite at ambient pressure:An X-ray powder diffraction study up to 1000℃

The thermal expansion coefficients of kyanite at ambient pressure have been investigated by an X-ray powder diffraction technique with temperatures up to 1000 ℃. No phase transition was observed in the experimental temperature range. Data for the unit-cell parameters and temperatures were fitted empirically resulting in the following thermal expansion coefficients： αa = 5.8（3） × 10^-5, αb = 5.8 （1）× 10^-5, αc = 5.2（1）× 10^-5, and αv = 7.4（1） × 10^-3 ℃ 1 in good agreement with a recent neutron powder diffraction study. On the other hand, the variation of the unit-cell angles α, β and γ of kyanite with increase in temperature is very complicated, and the agreement among all studies is poor. The thermal expansion data at ambient pressure reported here and the compression data at ambient temperature from the literature suggest that, for the kyanite lattice, the most and least thermally expandable directions correspond to the most and least compressible directions, respectively.

Ab initio Structure Determination of [Co(NH_3)_5Br]Br_2 Using Conventional X-ray Powder Diffraction

The crystal structure of [Co(NH3)5Br]Br2 has been determined ab initio from the conventional X-ray powder diffraction data. The approximate structure with all 7 indeyendent non-H atoms was solved by direct methods. The final orthorhombic unit-cell parameters after Rietveld refinement are: a=13.6927, b=10.7071, c=6.9400A, V=1017.47A3, F30=93(0.0075,43), M20=49, Z=4. Space group is Pnma. The structure agreement factors are: Rp=0.066,Rwp=0.090, RF=0.041, RB=0.042.

Neutron powder diffraction and high-pressure synchrotron x-ray diffraction study of tantalum nitrides

Tantalum nitride （TAN） compact with a Vickers hardness of 26 GPa is prepared by a high-pressure and high- temperature （HPHT） method. The crystal structure and atom occupations of WC-type TaN have been investigated by neutron powder diffraction, and the compressibility of WC-type TaN has been investigated by using in-situ high-pressure synchrotron x-ray diffraction. The third-order Birch-Murnaghan equation of state fitted to the x-ray diffraction pressure- volume （P-V） sets of data, collected up to 41 GPa, yields ambient pressure isothermal bulk moduli of B0 = 369（2） GPa with pressure derivatives of B~ = 4 for the WC-type TaN. The bulk modulus of WC-type TaN is not in good agreement with the previous result （Bo = 351 GPa）, which is close to the recent theoretical calculation result （Bo = 378 GPa）. An analysis of the experiment results shows that crystal structure of WC-type TaN can be viewed as alternate stacking of Ta and N layers along the c direction, and the covalent Ta-N bonds between Ta and N layers along the c axis in the crystal structure play an important role in the incompressibility and hardness of WC-type TaN.

Rietveld Refinement and X-ray Powder Diffraction Data of GdAlSi

The X-ray powder diffraction data of the compound GdAlSi was studied by means of X-ray diffraction technique and refined by Rietveld method. The compound GdAlSi has tetragonal α-ThSi_2-type structure, space group I4_1/amd (No.141), Z=4, the lattice parameters a=041234 (1) nm, c=1.44202(1) nm. The Smith and Snyder figure of merit [5] F_N is F_ 30=2521(36). The R-factors of Rietveld refinement are R_p=0.098 and R_ wp=0.128. The X-ray powder diffraction data are given. The field dependence of the magnetization measured at room temperature and the temperature variation of the inverse magnetic susceptibility of the compound GdAlSi were also presented.

X-ray Powder Diffraction Pattern of Bi_4(SiO_4)_3

In cooperation with figure-of-merits the Rietveld analysis can appraise both angular and intensity data of powder diffraction. In this work, X-ray diffraction pattern of Bi4(SiO4)3 was redetermined with intensity figure-of-merits, which qualify agreement between observed and calculated relative intensities. F30 is 158.90 (0.0059, 32), intensity figure of merit Rint is 8.7, I20(17), 8.0. The values of figure-of-merits show that the data of JCPDS cards are distorted. Both the experimental and calculated peak positions and heights are listed in detail.

SYNTHESIS AND X-RAY POWDER DIFFRACTION DATA OF A NEW COMPOUND:K_6FeNb_(15)O_(42)

A new compound K6FeNb15O42 was prepared for the first time by solid state reaction in K2O-Fe2O3-Nb2O5 ternary system. The X-ray powder diffraction data of the title compound was measured. K6FeNb15 O42 crystallizes in the hexagonal system with unit cell parameters, a = 9. 1320(4) A ,c = 12. 0670(9) A , and space group P63/mcm (193) , z = 1. The calculated and measured densities are 4. 489 g/cm3 and 4. 485 g. cm3, respectively.

SYNTHESIS AND X-RAY POWDER DIFFRACTION DATA OF A NEW COMPOUND:K_6FeNb_(15)O_(42)

A new compound K6FeNb15O42 u(?) prepared for the first time by solid state reaction in K2O-Fe2O3-Nb2O5 ternary system. The XRD data of the title compound was determined. K6FeNb15O42 crystallizes the hexagonal system with unit cell parameters a=9. 1320(4) A,c=12. 0670(9) A, and space group P63/mcm(193) , 2=1. The calculated and measured densities are 4. 489 g/ cm3 and 4. 485 g. cm3, respectively.

IDENTIFICATION AND SIMULATION OF X-RAY POWDER DIFFRACTION PATTERN

A new method for pattern identification and simulation of X-ray powder diffraction data is described, which can give definite phase composition of the unknown rapidly and correctly. The method is implemented in Microsoft Fortran 77 for the IBM PC/XT/AT personal computer or their compatibles.

X-ray Powder Diffraction Data and Rietveld Refinement for NdCoGe_3

オ-ray powder diffraction data and crystal structure of RE compound NdCoGe3 were studied by using X-ray powder diffraction and refined by the Rietveld profile fitting method. The compound has the tetragonal BaNiSn3type structure, space group I4mm (No.107) a=0.42961(2) nm, c=098147(4) nm, V=0.018114 nm3, Z=2 and Dx=7.717 g·cm-3. The figure of merit FN for the powder data is F30=623 (0.0107, 45). Structure refinement was performed with 110 reflections and led to Rp=11.78% and Rwp=16.56%.

Quantification of flupirtine maleate polymorphs using X-ray powder diffraction

Flupirtine maleate, a pharmaceutical compound for treating psychotic disease in clinics, has seven polymorphs. Form A, with better crystal stability and bioavailability, has been widely used as the pharmaceutical crystal form. Unfortunately, it is usually found in a polymorphic mixture with form B. In this study, pure crystal forms of A and B were prepared and characterized by X-ray powder diffraction （XRPD）, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （FT-IR） and thermal analysis. An XRPD-based method for the quantitative determination of the amount of the flupirtine maleate polymorphs form A and form B was also established through a systematic optimization of instrumental parameters. The results of the analytical methodology validation showed that the XPRD method had a broad quantitative range of 0- 100% （w/w）, good linear relationship, with R2= 0.999, excellent repeatability and precision and low limits of detection （LoD） of 0.15% （w/w） and quantification （LoQ） of 0.5% （w/w）. The results also showed that the single-peak method was not as good as the whole pattern in reducing the influence of the preferred orientation, but this can be compensated for by a systematic optimization of instrumental parameters and validating the analytical methodology to reduce errors and obtain a good, repeatable, sensitive, and accurate method. This XRPD method can be used to analyze mixtures of flupirtine maleate polymorphs （forms A and B） quantitatively and control the quality of the bulk drug.

MY RESEARCH ACHIEVEMENTS IN POWDER X-RAY DIFFRACTION & PHASE DIAGRAMS

I graduated from the Department of Chemistry, Xiamen University in 1955, majoring in physical chemistry. I went to the Institute of Metallurgy under the Soviet Academy of Sciences in 1956 as a Ph.D.candidate in thermochemistry and crystal chemistry of metal alloys,and got my Ph.D.degree in 1960.In the following 30 years, I did basic and applied research in interdisciplines,including crystal chemistry,materials science and solid state physics.My main achievements can be listed in two aspects as follows:

Crystallographic Characteristic of Intermetallic Compounds in Al-Si-Mg Casting Alloys Using Electron Backscatter Diffraction

The Al-Si-Mg alloy which can be strengthened by heat treatment is widely applied to the key components of aerospace and aeronautics. Iron-rich intermetallic compounds are well known to be strongly influential on mechanical properties in Al-Si-Mg alloys. But intermetallic compounds in cast Al-Si-Mg alloy intermetallics are often misidentified in previous metallurgical studies. It was described as many different compounds, such as AlFeSi, Al8Fe2Si, Al5（Fe, Mn）3Si2 and so on. For the purpose of solving this problem, the intermetallic compounds in cast Al-Si alloys containing 0.5% Mg were investigated in this study. The iron-rich compounds in Al-Si-Mg casting alloys were characterized by optical microscope（OM）, scanning electron microscope（SEM）, energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer（EDS）, electron backscatter diffraction（EBSD） and X-ray powder diffraction（XRD）. The electron backscatter diffraction patterns were used to assess the crystallographic characteristics of intermetallic compounds. The compound which contains Fe/Mg-rich particles with coarse morphologies was Al8FeMg3Si6 in the alloy by using EBSD. The compound belongs to hexagonal system, space group P6_2m, with the lattice parameter a=0.662 nm, c=0.792 nm. The β-phase is indexed as tetragonal Al3FeSi2, space group I4/mcm, a=0.607 nm and c=0.950 nm. The XRD data indicate that Al8FeMg3Si6 and Al3FeSi2 are present in the microstructure of Al-7Si-Mg alloy, which confirms the identification result of EBSD. The present study identified the iron-rich compound in Al-Si-Mg alloy, which provides a reliable method to identify the intermetallic compounds in short time in Al-Si-Mg alloy. Study results are helpful for identification of complex compounds in alloys.

Neutron diffraction study on composite compound Nd_2 Co_7

The crystallographic and the magnetic structures of the composite compound Nd2Co7 at 300 K are investigated by a combined refinement of X-ray diffraction data and high-resolution neutron diffraction data. The compound crystallizes into a hexagonal Ce2NiT-type structure and consists of alternately stacking MgZn2-type NdCo2 and CaCus-type NdCo5 structural blocks along the c axis. A magnetic structure model with the moments of all atoms aligning along the c axis provides a satisfactory fitting to the neutron diffraction data and coincides with the easy magnetization direction revealed by the X-ray diffraction experiments on magnetically pre-aligned fine particles. The refinement results show that the derived atomic moments of the Co atoms vary in a range of 0.7 μB-1.1 μB and the atomic moment of Nd in the NdCo5 slab is close to the theoretical moment of a free trivalent Nd3＋ ion, whereas the atomic moment of Nd in the NdCo2 slab is much smaller than the theoretical value for a free Nd3＋ ion. The remarkable difference in the atomic moment of Nd atoms between different structural slabs at room temperature is explained in terms of the magnetic characteristics of the NdCo2 and NdCo5 compounds and the local chemical environments of the Nd atoms in different structural slabs of the Nd2Co7 compound.

Thermal expansion of lattice parameter of (powder) silicon up to 1473 K

The XRPD (X-ray powder diffxactometry) patterns of silicon powder with a unit cell structure of diamond were determined from 298 to 1473 K. Lattice parameters of Si linearly increase with temperature. The thermal shifts of the positions of all reflection peaks are linearly correlated with the temperature. The coefficients of the intrinsic linear thermal expansion and volumetric thermal expansion were determined as 3.87×10-6/K and 1.16×10-5/K respectively. It indicates that Si is still a suitable standard in the XRPD method at high temperatures.

SYNTHESIS AND X-RAY POWDER STUDY OF A NEW COMPOUND:Ba_6Ti_7Nb_9O_(42)

A new compound Ba6Ti7Nb9O42 was prepared for the first time by solid state reaction in BaO-TiO2-Nb2O5, ternary system. The X-ray powder diffraction data of the title compound was determined. Ba6Ti7Nb9O42 crystallizes in the hexagonal system -with unit cell parameters a=9.0527(4) A,c=11.790(1) A,and space group P63/mcm(193),z=1. The calculated and measured densities are 5. 293 g/cm3 and 5.285 g/cm3, respectively.

Formation of the structure-Ⅱgas hydrate from low-concentration propane mixed with methane

It has been recognized that a small amount of propane mixed with methane can change greatly in not only the thermodynamics but also the structural properties of gas hydrate.However,its mechanism is still not well understood yet.In this research,structure-Ⅱ(sⅡ)hydrate is synthesized using a methanepropane gas mixture with an initial mole ratio of 99:1,and it is found that large(5~(12)6~4)cages are cooccupied by multiple gases based on the rigid structure analysis of neutron diffraction data.The first principles calculation and molecular dynamics simulation are conducted to uncover the molecular mechanism for sⅡmethane-propane hydrate formation,revealing that the presence of propane inhibits the formation of structure-Ⅰ(sⅠ)hydrate but promotes sⅡhydrate formation.The results help to understand the accumulation mechanism of natural gas hydrate and benefit to optimize the condition for gas storage and transportation in hydrate form.

A High-Performance Solid-State Na–CO_(2)Battery with Poly(Vinylidene Fluoride-co-Hexafluoropropylene)−Na_(3.2)Zr_(1.9)Mg_(0.1)Si_(2)PO_(12)Electrolyte

The recovery and utilization of carbon dioxide(CO_(2))is the key to achieve the targets of peak carbon dioxide emissions and carbon neutrality.The Na-CO_(2)battery made with cheap alkali metal sodium and greenhouse gas CO_(2)is an effective strategy to consume CO_(2)and store clean renewable energy.However,the liquid electrolyte volatilization in the open battery system and inevitable dendrite growth restrict the application of Na-CO_(2)batteries.In this work,magnesium-doped Na_(3)Zr_(2)Si_(2)PO_(12)(NZSP)was studied as a solid electrolyte for solid-state Na-CO_(2)batteries.The ionic conductivity of Na_(3.2)Zr_(1.9)Mg_(0.1)Si_(2)PO_(12)reaches 1.16 mS cm^(−1)at room temperature by replacing Zr ions in Na_(3.2)Zr_(1.9)Mg_(0.1)Si_(2)PO_(12)with Mg ions,and the structural changes are analyzed by neutron powder diffraction.The composite electrolyte consisting of highly conductive Na_(3.2)Zr_(1.9)Mg_(0.1)Si_(2)PO_(12)and high processability poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene)(PVDF-HFP)is utilized for the first time to assemble a solid-state Na-CO_(2)battery.The cell shows a full discharge capacity of 7720 mAh g^(−1)at 200 mA g^(−1).The middle gap voltage is lower than 2 V after 120 cycles at 200 mA g^(−1)and at a cut-off capacity of 500 mAh g^(−1).This work demonstrates a promising strategy to design high-performance solid-state Na-CO_(2)batteries.

Novel thermal expansion of lead titanate

Lattice parameters of lead titanate were precisely re-determined in thetemperature range of-150-950 deg C by high precision XRPD measurements. It was clarified that therewas no any evidence for a new phase transition at low tempera-lures. Tetragonal distortion straindecreases with temperature increasing. A novel thermal expansion was observed, positive thermalexpansion from -150 deg C to room temperature (RT) and above 490 deg C, and the negative thermalexpansion in the temperature range of RT-490 deg C. A big jump of thermal expansion coefficient isattributed to the tetragonal-cubic phase transition. A rationalization for the negative thermalexpansion of PbTiO_3 is due to the decrease of anion-anion repulsion as polyhedra become moreregular at heating. The mechanisms of positive and negative thermal expansions were elucidated asthe same nature in the homogenous tetragonal phase at present case.

Study on Stability of Nateglinide Polymorphism

The stability of three forms of nateglinide, especially S-form and H-form, was determined. S-form was a new crystal structure1 of nateglinide. Three forms of nateglinide were treated in different conditions, such as in various temperatures, humidity, light and so on. Analysis of their crystal structures was performed by X-ray powder diffraction ( XRD ) and their particle shapes were observed with scanning electron microscope ( SEM ). The results indicated that the stability of S-form of nateglinide is the best among the three forms and their particle shapes are quite difference. S-form is the sheet structure of layer upon layer, H-form looks like a hank of silk lines and B-form is the clubbed shape.

Impact of In^(3+) cations on structure and electromagnetic state of M-type hexaferrites

The solid solutions of In^(3+) doped M-type strontium hexaferrites were produced using a conventional solid-state reaction method,and Rietveld analysis of the neutron diffraction patterns was conducted.In^(3+) cations occupy octahedral (4f_(Ⅵ)and 12 k) and tetrahedral (4f_(Ⅳ)) positions (SG=P6_(3)/mmc(No.194)).The average particle size is 837–650 nm.Curie tempearature (T_(C)) of the compounds monotonically decreased down to~520 K with increasing x.A frustrated magnetic state was detected from ZFC and FC magnetizations.saturation magnetization (M_(s)) and effective magnetocrystalline anisotropy coefficient (k_(eff)) were determined using the law of approach to saturation.A real permittivity (ε″) maximum of~3.3 at~45.5 GHz and an imaginary permittivity (ε′) of~1.6 at~42.3 GHz were observed for x=0.1.A real permeability (μ′) maximum of~1.5 at~36.2 GHz was observed for x=0.Aμ″imaginary permeability maximum of~0.8 at~38.3 GHz was observed for x=0.1.The interpretation of the results is based on the type of dielectric polarization and the natural ferromagnetic resonance features.