The Monte Carlo method is applied to finding missing atoms in solving inorganic crystal structures without applying a rigid-body approximation. Whole powder patterns of α-SiO2 and Mg2SiO4 were used for testing a procedure. Four atoms among the six in the asymmetric unit of Mg2SiO4 could be found in the present analysis. The use of well-refined profile parameters enhanced the frequency of correct structure configurations in the Monte Carlo search. Utilizing structural information available for constructing a trial configuration is also considered to be important for efficiently searching the structure solution. A procedure for assignment of equivalent positions to respective atoms is presented. The method can be used as a powerful tool for finding missing atoms in a partially solved structure. A histogram of weighted reliability index in Monte Carlo calculations is very informative for evaluating the performance of the method. ©

The aim of this work was to design, construct, install, and commission an on-line, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyzer capable of continuously monitoring phase abundances for use in process plant control. This has been achieved through a joint project between CSIRO Minerals and Fuel & Combustion Technology Pty. Ltd. with an instrument designed for use in a Portland cement manufacturing plant. Key factors in tailoring such an instrument to the cement industry were (i) the handling and presentation of a dry sample and (ii) the development of an analytical method suitable for the complex suite of phases contained within Portland cement. The instrument incorporates continuous flow of sample through the diffractometer using a purpose-built sample presentation stage. The XRD data are collected simultaneously using a wide range (120° 2θ) position sensitive detector, thus enabling rapid collection of the full diffraction pattern. The data are then analyzed using a Rietveld analysis method to obtain a quantitative estimate of each of the phases present. The instrument is controlled by a PC linked to the diffractometer through a purpose built interface. The phase abundance information is then transmitted to the central computer in the cement plant where it can be used for the control of mill parameters such as temperature and retention times as well as gypsum feed rate.

Single-crystal synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD) data were collected and refined for congruent lithium niobate crystals 8 and 6 μm in diameter, sizes that are comparable to the size of the powder particles used in powder diffraction. The motivation for using such small crystals is to minimize problems such as extinction, which decrease with crystal size. The R/wR factors were 0.011/0.014 and 0.019/0.018, for the 8 and 6 μm data, respectively, and the goodness of fit factors were 2.3(1) and 1.63(8), which compare favorably with values obtained from previous powder and single-crystal diffraction studies. Results from single-crystal XRD using crystals less than 10 μm in size may rival those obtained from powder diffraction.

The crystal structure of the layered cadmium hydroxide sulfate Cd4SO4(OH)6.1.5H2O has been solved from X-ray powder diffraction data. The compound crystallizes with hexagonal symmetry, a=9.145(1) Å, c=15.099(3) Å, V=1093.5 Å3, Z=4, space group P63. Due to the unusual environment of one cadmium atom and to the fact that a suitable thin tabular crystal could be found later, a single-crystal X-ray diffraction experiment was also carried out. In both cases the structure was solved applying direct-methods. The refinements converged to the residual factors Rwp=0.152 and RF=0.059 from the powder data and R1=0.058 and wR=0.165 for the single crystal data case. The structure is built from brucite-type layers based on CdO6 octahedra, in which one-seventh of the octahedral sites are empty. Directly above and below these empty sites, two additional octahedrically coordinated Cd atoms are located. The crystal chemistry of the cadmium hydroxide sulfate family is discussed.

Palmierite (K2Pb(SO4)2) has been prepared via a chemical synthesis method. Intensity differences were observed when X-ray powder data from the newly synthesized compound were compared to the published powder diffraction card (PDF) 29-1015 for Palmierite. Investigation of these differences indicated the possibility of preferred orientation and/or chemical inhomogeneity affecting intensities, particularly those of the basal (00l) reflections. Annealing of the Palmierite was found to reduce the effects of preferred orientation. Electron microprobe analysis confirmed K:Pb:S as 2:1:2 for the for the annealed Palmierite powder. Subsequent least-squares refinement and Rietveld analysis of the annealed powder showed peak intensities very close to that of a calculated Palmierite pattern (based on single crystal data), yet substantially higher than many of the PDF 29-1015 published intensities. Further investigation of peak intensity variation via calculated patterns suggested that the intensity discrepancies between the annealed sample and those found in PDF 29-1015 were potentially due to chemical variation in the K2Pb(SO4)2 composition. X-ray powder diffraction and crystal data for Palmierite are reported for the annealed sample. Palmierite is trigonal/hexagonal with unit cell parameters a=5.497(1) Å, c=20.864(2) Å, space group R-3m(166), and Z=3.

Powder diffraction data and refined unit cell parameters of two palladium borides were determined. For Pd3B (space group Pnma; Fe3C type) it was found that a=0.54602(3) nm, b=0.75596(4) nm, c=0.48417(4) nm and for Pd5B2 (space group C2/c; Mn5C2 type) a=1.27759(12) nm, b=0.49497(5) nm, c=0.54704(4) nm, β=97.049(7)°. Further, it was shown that the position of the principal scattering peak of the amorphous Pd2B fulfils the Nagel–Tauc criterion about glass forming ability.

Calcium hydroxyapatite (Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2) whiskers were prepared by using the technique of molten salt synthesis with the fluxing agent of potassium sulphate (K2SO4). A tentative x-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern was suggested for the produced whiskers. Phase purity, composition, and morphology of the whiskers were investigated by powder XRD, inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy, respectively.

Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO(C2O4)2·5H2O, which is used as a precursor for Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3 (BST), has been characterized by X-ray powder diffraction. In accordance with the known structure of BaTiO(C2O4)2·yH2O, the crystal system was found to be monoclinic with unit cell parameters: a=1.3965(1) nm, b=1.3811(2) nm, c=1.3306(2) nm, and β=92.15(1)°. The space group is P21/n, ρ=2.292(2) g cm−3, and Z=8.

X-ray powder diffraction data for a new phase of dicalcium silicate, x-Ca2SiO4, are reported. The sample was prepared by the dehydration of hydrothermally synthesized α-type dicalcium silicate hydrate, Ca2(SiO4H)OH, at a temperature of 800 °C. Crystallographic data were Ca2SiO4, monoclinic, P21/c (No. 14), a=8.2127(5), b=9.7930(4), c=9.7954(5) Å, β=94.848(5)°, V=785.00(7) Å3, Z=8, and Dx=2.91 g·cm−3.

X-ray powder diffraction data for synthetic materials MgMnSiO4 and Mg0.6Mn1.4SiO4 are reported. Samples were prepared by firing mixtures of MgO, MnCO3, and SiO2 in prescribed molar ratios at 1523 K. Powder diffraction data were collected with a laboratory X-ray source (CuKα) for refinement of unit-cell parameters and synchrotron radiation (λ=1.1980 Å) for intensity measurement of individual reflections. Crystallographic data were MgMnSiO4, orthorhombic, Pnma (No. 62), a=10.4510(1), b=6.12446(5), c=4.80757(4) Å, V=307.717(4) Å3, Z=4, and Dx=3.697 g·cm−3, and Mg0.6Mn1.4SiO4, orthorhombic, Pnma (No. 62), a=10.5241(1), b=6.17903(6), c=4.83927(5) Å, V=314.692(5) Å3, Z=4, and Dx=3.873 g·cm−3.