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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 37 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

An Easy‐to‐Use Custom‐Built Cell for Neutron Powder Diffraction Studies of Rechargeable Batteries

Abstract In operando powder diffraction remains one of the most powerful tools for non‐destructive investigation of battery electrode materials. While in operando X‐ray, especially synchrotron radiation, powder diffraction is by now a routine experimental technique, in operando neutron powder diffraction is still less established. We present a new electrochemical cell for in operando neutron powder diffraction, which is, first and foremost, easy to use, but can also cycle electrode materials under electrochemical conditions close to those achieved using standard laboratory cells. The cell has been designed in multiple sizes, and high‐quality electrochemical and neutron powder diffraction data is presented for sample sizes as low as 48 mg total active material. The cell handles lithium‐ion and sodium‐ion materials equally well, with no difference in how the cell is prepared and assembled. The cell is intended to be used as sample environment at powder diffractometers at the neutron facilities MLZ, ORNL and ACNS.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Hydrogenation properties of Li{sub x}Sr{sub 1−x}AlSi studied by quantum-chemical methods (0≤x≤1) and in-situ neutron powder diffraction (x=1)

In-situ neutron powder diffraction studies of the Half-Heusler phase LiAlSi under high deuterium pressures and first principle calculations of solid solutions of Li{sub x}Sr{sub 1−x}AlSi and their hydrides Li{sub x}Sr{sub 1−x}AlSiH were carried out. In contrast to an earlier study, there is no experimental evidence for hydrogen (deuterium) uptake up to gas pressures of 15 MPa and temperatures of 550 °C. Instead a slow decomposition reaction according to LiAlSi+1/2H{sub 2}=LiH+Al+Si was found by in-situ neutron powder diffraction. Theoretical calculations by DFT methods on hypothetical solid solutions of Li{sub x}Sr{sub 1−x}AlSi show the LiAlSi type to be the energetically most stable structure for 0.7<x and the SrAlSi type structure for lower values of x. Hydrides Li{sub x}Sr{sub 1−x}AlSiH favor the SrAlSiH type for all values of x instead of the structure proposed earlier with hydrogen occupying tetrahedral voids in a LiAlSi structure. As an alternative for a cubic structure for LiAlSiH, we suggest the existence of LiAlSiH in the trigonal SrAlSiH type structure and it might be a candidate worthwhile to be considered for preparative work. - Graphical abstract: In-situ neutron powder diffraction of LiAlSi under high D{sub 2} pressure. - Highlights: • In-situ neutron powder diffraction of LiAlSi under high D{sub 2} pressure was carried out. • LiAlSi decomposes according to LiAlSi + ½ H{sub 2} = LiH + Al + Si. • Mixed crystals Li{sub x}Sr{sub 1-x}AlSi and LixSr{sub 1-x}AlSiH were studied theoretically.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2023

White Laue and powder diffraction studies to reveal mechanisms of HCP-to-BCC phase transformation in single crystals of Mg under high pressure

Mechanisms of hexagonal close-packed (HCP) to body-centered cubic (BCC) phase transformation in Mg single crystals are observed using a combination of polychromatic beam Laue diffraction and monochromatic beam powder diffraction techniques under quasi-hydrostatic pressures of up to 58 ± 2 GPa at ambient temperature. Although experiments were performed with both He and Ne pressure media, crystals inevitably undergo plastic deformation upon loading to 40–44 GPa. The plasticity is accommodated by dislocation glide causing local misorientations of up to 1°–2°. The selected crystals are tracked by mapping Laue diffraction spots up to the onset of the HCP to BCC transformation, which is determined to be at a pressure of 56.6 ± 2 GPa. Intensity of the Laue reflections from HCP crystals rapidly decrease but no reflections from crystalline BCC phase are observed with a further increase of pressure. Nevertheless, the powder diffraction shows the formation of 110 BCC peak at 56.6 GPa. The peak intensity increases at 59.7 GPa. Upon the full transformation, a powder-like BCC aggregate is formed revealing the destructive nature of the HCP to BCC transformation in single crystals of Mg.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2010

Concerted electron and proton transfer in ionic crystals mapped by femtosecond x-ray powder diffraction

X-ray powder diffraction, a fundamental technique of structure research in physics, chemistry, and biology, is extended into the femtosecond time domain of atomic motions. This allows for mapping (macro)molecular structure generated by basic chemical and biological processes and for deriving transient electronic charge density maps. In the experiments, the transient intensity and angular positions of up to 20 Debye Scherrer reflections from a polycrystalline powder are measured and atomic positions and charge density maps are determined with a combined spatial and temporal resolutions of 30 pm and 100 fs. We present evidence for the so far unknown concerted transfer of electrons and protons in a prototype material, the hydrogen-bonded ionic ammonium sulfate [(NH{sub 4}){sub 2}SO{sub 4}]. Photoexcitation of ammonium sulfate induces a sub-100 fs electron transfer from the sulfate groups into a highly confined electron channel along the c-axis of the unit cell. The latter geometry is stabilized by transferring protons from the adjacent ammonium groups into the channel. Time-dependent charge density maps derived from the diffraction data display a periodic modulation of the channel's charge density by low-frequency lattice motions with a concerted electron and proton motion between the channel and the initial proton binding site. Our results set the stage for femtosecond structure studies in a wide class of (bio)molecular materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Considerations for quantitative in situ X-ray powder diffraction studies of solid-state reactions

The importance of sample preparation in collecting high-fidelity powder diffraction data suitable for quantitative structure and phase analysis is well established. Such powder diffraction experiments are increasingly being appliedin situ, during reactions, to explore solid-state reactivity. When appliedin situ, X-ray diffraction is widely used to gain insight into the mechanism and kinetics, and to identify dynamic intermediate states. Here, using a model ion-exchange reaction (NaFeO 2 + LiCl → LiFeO 2 + NaCl), we show that sample preparation not only influences the fidelity of powder diffraction analysis but also impacts the observed reaction progress. Specifically, we found that the observed reaction progress can differ by ∼50% depending on the capillary sample preparation. Thus, forin situdiffraction studies of solid-state reactions, packing fraction is an important and previously unrecognized consideration that impacts reproducibility and fidelity of the reaction study.

Chemistry↗
DOE OSTI2017

Crystal Structure of 17α-Dihydroequilin, C18H22O2, from Synchrotron Powder Diffraction Data and Density Functional Theory

The crystal structure of 17α-dihydroequilin has been solved and refined using synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data, and optimized using density functional techniques. 17α-dihydroequilin crystallizes in space group P212121 (#19) with a = 6.76849(1) Å, b = 8.96849(1) Å, c = 23.39031(5) Å, V = 1419.915(3) Å3, and Z = 4. Both hydroxyl groups form hydrogen bonds to each other, resulting in zig-zag chains along the b-axis. The powder diffraction pattern has been submitted to ICDD for inclusion in the Powder Diffraction File™ as the entry 00-066-1608.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2016

Quantitative phase analysis of challenging samples using neutron powder diffraction. Sample #4 from the CPD QPA round robin revisited

Here, quantitative phase analysis (QPA) using neutron powder diffraction more often than not involves non-ambient studies where no sample preparation is possible. The larger samples and penetration of neutrons versus X-rays makes neutron diffraction less susceptible to inhomogeneity and large grain sizes, but most well-characterized QPA standard samples do not have these characteristics. Sample #4 from the International Union of Crystallography Commission on Powder Diffraction QPA round robin was one such sample. Data were collected using the POWGEN time-of-flight (TOF) neutron powder diffractometer and analysed together with historical data from the C2 diffractometer at Chalk River. The presence of magnetic reflections from Fe 3 O 4 (magnetite) in the sample was an additional consideration, and given the frequency at which iron-containing and other magnetic compounds are present during in-operando studies their possible impact on the accuracy of QPA is of interest. Additionally, scattering from thermal diffuse scattering in the high- Q region (<0.6 Å) accessible with TOF data could impact QPA results during least-squares because of the extreme peak overlaps present in this region. Refinement of POWGEN data was largely insensitive to the modification of longer d -spacing reflections by magnetic contributions, but the constant-wavelength data were adversely impacted if the magnetic structure was not included. A robust refinement weighting was found to be effective in reducing quantification errors using the constant-wavelength neutron data both where intensities from magnetic reflections were ignored and included. Results from the TOF data were very sensitive to inadequate modelling of the high- Q (low d -spacing) background using simple polynomials.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

`Pink'-beam X-ray powder diffraction profile and its use in Rietveld refinement

The powder diffraction profile obtained with a pink-beam synchrotron X-ray source is described as the convolution of a back-to-back pair of exponentials convoluted with the Gaussian and Lorentzian components of a pseudo-Voigt. We report this new function is employed for the first time in a Rietveld refinement using data collected from a single 100 ps synchrotron X-ray micropulse.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Investigation of phase evolution of CaCu{sub 3}Ti{sub 4}O{sub 12} (CCTO) by in situ synchrotron high-temperature powder diffraction

In situ synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction was used to study the high-temperature phase evolution of CaCu{sub 3}Ti{sub 4}O{sub 12} (CCTO) precursors prepared via solid-state and sol–gel methods. After the precursors are heated to 1225 °C, the CCTO phase is the main phase observed in the calcined powder, with the presence of some minor impurities. Comparing the two precursors, we found that the onset temperature for the CCTO phase formation is 800 °C in the sol–gel precursor, lower than that in the solid-state precursor (875 °C). Intermediate phases were only observed in the sol–gel precursor. Both precursors are able to be calcined to sub-micrometric sized powders. Based on the synchrotron data along with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), the phase formation sequence and mechanism during calcination are proposed in this study. -- Graphical abstract: The in situ synchrotron HT-XRD patterns of CCTO sol–gel and solid-state precursor. Highlights: • Phase formation sequence/mechanism in two CCTO precursors has been established. • Formation temperature of CCTO via sol–gel method is lower than solid-state method. • Intermediate phases are only observed in the sol–gel precursor. • Both precursors are able to be calcined into sub-micrometric sized powders.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2016

Rietveld analysis using powder diffraction data with anomalous scattering effect obtained by focused beam flat sample method

Focused-beam flat-sample method (FFM) is a new trial for synchrotron powder diffraction method, which is a combination of beam focusing optics, flat shape powder sample and area detectors. The method has advantages for X-ray diffraction experiments applying anomalous scattering effect (anomalous diffraction), because of 1. Absorption correction without approximation, 2. High intensity X-rays of focused incident beams and high signal noise ratio of diffracted X-rays 3. Rapid data collection with area detectors. We applied the FFM to anomalous diffraction experiments and collected synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data of CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} (inverse spinel structure) using X-rays near Fe K absorption edge, which can distinguish Co and Fe by anomalous scattering effect. We conducted Rietveld analyses with the obtained powder diffraction data and successfully determined the distribution of Co and Fe ions in CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} crystal structure.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2017

High temperature neutron powder diffraction study of the Cu{sub 12}Sb{sub 4}S{sub 13} and Cu{sub 4}Sn{sub 7}S{sub 16} phases

Ternary copper-containing sulfides Cu{sub 12}Sb{sub 4}S{sub 13} and Cu{sub 4}Sn{sub 7}S{sub 16} have attracted considerable interest since few years due to their high-efficiency conversion as absorbers for solar energy and promising thermoelectric materials. We report therein on the decomposition study of Cu{sub 12}Sb{sub 4}S{sub 13} and Cu{sub 4}Sn{sub 7}S{sub 16} phases using high temperature in situ neutron powder diffraction. Our results obtained at a heating rate of 2.5 K/min indicate that: (i) Cu{sub 12}Sb{sub 4}S{sub 13} decomposes above ≈792 K into Cu{sub 3}SbS{sub 3}, and (ii) Cu{sub 4}Sn{sub 7}S{sub 16} decomposes above ≈891 K into Sn{sub 2}S{sub 3} and a copper-rich sulfide phase of sphalerite ZnS-type structure with an assumed Cu{sub 3}SnS{sub 4} stoichiometry. Both phase decompositions are associated to a sulfur volatilization. While the results on Cu{sub 12}Sb{sub 4}S{sub 13} are in fair agreement with recent published data, the decomposition behavior of Cu{sub 4}Sn{sub 7}S{sub 16} differs from other studies in terms of decomposition temperature, thermal stability and products of reaction. Finally, the crystal structure refinements from neutron powder diffraction data are reported and discussed for the Cu{sub 4}Sn{sub 7}S{sub 16} and tetrahedrite Cu{sub 12}Sb{sub 4}S{sub 13} phases at 300 K, and for the high temperature form of skinnerite Cu{sub 3}SbS{sub 3} at 843 K. - Graphical abstract: In situ neutron powder diffraction data (heating rate of 2.5 K/min) indicates that (i) the ternary Cu{sub 12}Sb{sub 4}S{sub 13} phase is stable up to 792 K and decomposes at higher temperature into Cu{sub 3}SbS{sub 3} and Cu{sub 1.5}Sb{sub 0.5}S{sub 2}, and (ii) the Cu{sub 4}Sn{sub 7}S{sub 16} phase is stable up to 891 K and decomposes at higher temperature into Sn{sub 2}S{sub 3} and a cubic phase of sphalerite ZnS-type structure. Sulfur volatilization likely occurs in order to balance the overall stoichiometry.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2012

Neutron powder diffraction analysis of (Tm{sub 0.50}Ca{sub 0.50})MnO{sub 3} and (Lu{sub 0.50}Ca{sub 0.50})MnO{sub 3}

The crystal and magnetic structures of (Tm{sub 0.50}Ca{sub 0.50})MnO{sub 3} and (Lu{sub 0.50}Ca{sub 0.50})MnO{sub 3} have been investigated between 5 K and 300 K by means of high resolution neutron powder diffraction followed by Rietveld refinement and dc magnetic measurements. During cooling orbital ordering at the Mn sub-lattice takes place at T{sub OO}{approx}280 K in both compounds, inducing an orthorhombic to monoclinic phase transition. As the temperature is further decreased an antiferromagnetic CE-type structure occurs in both compounds at T{sub N}{approx}105 K. The comparison with other (Ln{sub 0.50}Ca{sub 0.50})MnO{sub 3} compounds reveals that at room temperature the average Jahn-Teller distortion increases sharply with the decrease of the ionic radius for lanthanides heavier than Sm. The ordered magnetic moment progressively decreases as the lanthanide ionic radius decreases on account of the decreased values of the Mn-O-Mn bond angles. - Graphical abstract: Rietveld refinement plot for (Tm{sub 0.50}Ca{sub 0.50})MnO{sub 3} obtained from neutron powder diffraction data collected at 5 K; the inset shows the CE-type spin ordering taking place at the Mn sub-lattice. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The crystal and magnetic structures of (Tm{sub 0.50}Ca{sub 0.50})MnO{sub 3} and (Lu{sub 0.50}Ca{sub 0.50})MnO{sub 3} were analyzed by neutron powder diffraction. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Orbital ordering takes place below T{sub OO}{approx}280 K in both compounds. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer An antiferromagnetic CE-type structure occurs in both compounds below T{sub N}{approx}105 K. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A Comparison with other (Ln{sub 0.50}Ca{sub 0.50})MnO{sub 3} compounds is reported.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2010

The Advanced Automation for Powder Diffraction toward Industrial Application

A highly automated system for powder diffraction with synchrotron radiation was installed on the large Debye-Scherrer camera at the BL19B2 Engineering Science Research I beamline of SPring-8. Combined with a sample transfer and an automated centering system, we have succeeded in increasing the ratio of exposure time in the user beam time to 85%. The proposed system can be applied to a wide range of industrial uses.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2015

A Rietveld refinement method for angular- and wavelength-dispersive neutron time-of-flight powder diffraction data

This paper introduces a two-dimensional extension of the well established Rietveld refinement method for modeling neutron time-of-flight powder diffraction data. The novel approach takes into account the variation of two parameters, diffraction angle 2θ and wavelength λ, to optimally adapt to the varying resolution function in diffraction experiments. By doing so, the refinement against angular- and wavelength-dispersive data gets rid of common data-reduction steps and also avoids the loss of high-resolution information typically introduced by integration. In a case study using a numerically simulated diffraction pattern of Rh 0.81 Fe 3.19 N taking into account the layout of the future POWTEX instrument, the profile function as parameterized in 2θ and λ is extracted. As a proof-of-concept, the resulting instrument parameterization is then utilized to perform a typical refinement of the angular- and wavelength-dispersive diffraction pattern of CuNCN, yielding excellent residuals within feasible computational efforts. Another proof-of-concept is carried out by applying the same approach to a real neutron diffraction data set of CuNCN obtained from the POWGEN instrument at the Spallation Neutron Source in Oak Ridge. The paper highlights the general importance of the novel approach for data analysis at neutron time-of-flight diffractometers and its possible inclusion within existing Rietveld software packages.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2013

Combined synchrotron X-ray tomography and X-ray powder diffraction using a fluorescing metal foil

This study realizes the concept of simultaneous micro-X-ray computed tomography and X-ray powder diffraction using a synchrotron beamline. A thin zinc metal foil was placed in the primary, monochromatic synchrotron beam to generate a divergent wave to propagate through the samples of interest onto a CCD detector for tomographic imaging, thus removing the need for large beam illumination and high spatial resolution detection. Both low density materials (kapton tubing and a piece of plant) and higher density materials (Egyptian faience) were investigated, and elemental contrast was explored for the example of Cu and Ni meshes. The viability of parallel powder diffraction using the direct beam transmitted through the foil was demonstrated. The outcomes of this study enable further development of the technique towards in situ tomography/diffraction studies combining micrometer and crystallographic length scales, and towards elemental contrast imaging and reconstruction methods using well defined fluorescence outputs from combinations of known fluorescence targets (elements).

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2011

Neutron powder diffraction, and solid-state deuterium NMR analyses of Yb{sub 2}RuD{sub 6} and spectroscopic vibrational analysis of Yb{sub 2}RuD{sub 6} and Yb{sub 2}RuH{sub 6}

The crystal structure of Yb{sub 2}RuD{sub 6} has been determined by neutron powder diffraction and the results were consistent with the Fm3m (no. 225) space group, a=7.2352(18) A, with the atoms arranged according to the well-known K{sub 2}PtCl{sub 6} structure. No structural phase transition was observed in going from room temperature to 4 K. Raman spectra were not available due to fluorescence, but all fundamental bands and combination bands were assigned from FTIR and PAIR spectra only following previous studies for other alkaline earth and europium ruthenium ternary metal hydrides and deuterides. The deuterium nuclear quadrupole coupling constant, 40.9 kHz, leads to an ionic character of the Ru-D bond of 82%. - Graphical Abstract: Using PAIR (see figure above) and FTIR data spectroscopic vibrational assignments are reported for (a) Yb{sub 2}RuH{sub 6} and (b) Yb{sub 2}RuD{sub 6}. In addition, neutron powder diffraction structural elucidation data and deuterium NMR data are reported for Yb{sub 2}RuD{sub 6}. Highlights: > Yb{sub 2}RuD{sub 6} was prepared by a high temperature gas/solid phase reaction among YbD{sub 2}, Ru and D{sub 2}. > The crystal structure of Yb{sub 2}RuD{sub 6} was elucidated by powder neutron diffraction. > Yb{sub 2}RuD{sub 6} and Yb{sub 2}RuH{sub 6} were analyzed by infrared spectroscopy. > In addition, Yb{sub 2}RuD{sub 6} was analyzed with D NMR spectroscopy.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2017

Expected values and variances of Bragg peak intensities measured in a nanocrystalline powder diffraction experiment

A rigorous study of sampling and intensity statistics applicable for a powder diffraction experiment as a function of crystallite size is presented. Our analysis yields approximate equations for the expected value, variance and standard deviations for both the number of diffracting grains and the corresponding diffracted intensity for a given Bragg peak. The classical formalism published in 1948 by Alexander, Klug & Kummer [ J. Appl. Phys. (1948), 19 , 742–753] appears as a special case, limited to large crystallite sizes, here. It is observed that both the Lorentz probability expression and the statistics equations used in the classical formalism are inapplicable for nanocrystalline powder samples.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗