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Crystallographic study of the low-temperature dehydration products of gypsum, CaSO/sub 4/ x 2H/sub 2/O: hemihydrate CaSO/sub 4/ x 0. 50H/sub 2/O, and. gamma. -CaSO/sub 4/

Journal Article · · Am. Mineral.; (United States)
OSTI ID:6961889

The crystal structure of ..gamma..-CaSO/sub 4/ (a = 6,9694(8), c = 6.3033(4)A; Z = 3; space group P6/sub 2/22) has been refined from time-of-flight neutral powder diffraction data to agreement factors of 4.92 (weighted profile R) and 12.10 (Rietveld R). The observed neutron powder profile for hemihydrate (CaSO/sub 4/ x 0.50D/sub 2/O) is qualitatively consistent with a model in which the water molecules occupy two different levels in the channels of a distorted ..gamma..-CaSO/sub 4/ framework. Hemihydrates formed by dehydration of gypsum (CaSO/sub 4/ x 2H/sub 2/O) or synthesized from concentrated solutions of HNO/sub 3/ are monoclinic with space group I2 (a = 12.062(4), b = 12,660(3) c = 6.930(1)A; ..gamma.. = 90/sup 5/). Experimental data do not support the existence of a high-temperature trigonal form. Hemihydrate crystals grown in saturated NaCl solution contain ca 0.50 wt.% Na/sub 2/O. The presence of Na stabilizes the structure and produces significant changes in the refractive indices and unit-cell parameters. 24 references, 7 figures, 3 tables.

Research Organization:
Univ. of Louisville, KY
OSTI ID:
6961889
Journal Information:
Am. Mineral.; (United States), Journal Name: Am. Mineral.; (United States) Vol. 69:9-10; ISSN AMMIA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English