Thermal expansion and phase transformation studies on some materials by high temperature X-ray powder diffractometry.

摘要

A high temperature chamber based on electrical resistance heating has been integrated to an existing x-ray powder diffractometer. The system is capable of going upto 2500degC at programmed rates of heating. Temperature measurement is carried out by means by Pt/Rh or W/Re thermocouples or by optical pyrometry depending upon the temperature range. Provision exists for performing high temperature x-ray diffractometry in vacuum or in a gaseous atmosphere of low x-ray absorption. The x-ray optical alignment has been ensured by accurately measuring the unit cell lengths of x-ray diffraction standards like silicon and tungsten. The thermocouples have been calibrated within the system by monitoring the melting points of gold and silver. The well characterized transformation of zirconia from the monoclinic to tetragonal structure occuring around 1100degC has been satisfactorily reproduced . The high temperature phase transitions in some rare earth oxides have been studi ed. lattice parameter measurements on a variety of materials as a function of temperature upto 1500degC have been carried out and the data found to be in agreement with the literature values. From the measured lattice parameter values, percentage thermal expansion and coefficients of thermal expansion have been calculated for many substances from room temperature to 15000degC. (author). 20 refs., 9 figs. (Atomindex citation 20:055608)