Structure of Calcium Aluminate Decahydrate (CaAl2O4.10D2O) from Neutron and X-ray Powder Diffraction Data
Calcium aluminate decahydrate is hexagonal with the space group P63/m and Z = 6. The compound has been named CaAl2O4{center_dot}10H2O (CAH10) for decades and is known as the product obtained by hydration of CaAl2O4 (CA) in the temperature region 273-288 K - one of the main components in high-alumina cements. The lattice constants depend on the water content. Several sample preparations were used in this investigation: one CAH10, three CAD10 and one CA(D/H)10, where the latter is a zero-matrix sample showing no coherent scattering contribution from the D/H atoms in a neutron diffraction powder pattern. The crystal structure including the positions of the H/D atoms was determined from analyses of four neutron diffraction powder patterns by means of the ab initio crystal structure determination program FOX and the FULLPROF crystal structure refinement program. Additionally, eight X-ray powder diffraction patterns (Cu K[alpha]1 and synchrotron X-rays) were used to establish phase purity. The analyses of these combined neutron and X-ray diffraction data clearly show that the previously published positions of the O atoms in the water molecules are in error. Thermogravimetric analysis of the CAD10 sample preparation used for the neutron diffraction studies gave the composition CaAl2(OD)8(D2O)2{center_dot}2.42D2O. Neutron and X-ray powder diffraction data gave the structural formula CaAl2(OX)8(X2O)2{center_dot}[gamma]X2O (X = D, H and D/H), where the [gamma] values are sample dependent and lie between 2.3 and 3.3.
- Research Organization:
- Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). National Synchrotron Light Source
- Sponsoring Organization:
- Doe - Office Of Science
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC02-98CH10886
- OSTI ID:
- 959548
- Report Number(s):
- BNL-82534-2009-JA; TRN: US1005757
- Journal Information:
- Acta Crystallographica Section B: Structural Science, Vol. 63
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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