POTENTIAL OF THE INEL X-RAY POSITION-SENSITIVE DETECTOR - A GENERAL STUDY OF THE DEBYE-SCHERRER SETTING

The INEL diffractometer, equipped with a CPS120 curved detector and se t up in a Debye-Scherrer geometry, is a unique tool for carrying out p owder diffraction studies on air-sensitive and/or small-volume samples . Although it has routinely been used in powder diffractometry because of its minute acquisition times, its accuracy in d-spacing and intens ity measurements has not been clearly demonstrated before now. Concern ing the d spacings, proper linearization of the CPS120 with a cubic Na 2Ca3Al2F14 standard allowed a mean delta2theta, difference of 0.006-de grees. Intensity accuracy was measured with different highly and poorl y absorbing samples. The accuracy is fairly good for the latter but po or for the former, except when special procedures such as the dilution of the sample with boron powder are used. A Rietveld calculation carr ied out on T14V2O7 showed a very good agreement between the INEL Debye -Scherrer-geometry results and those obtained with a Philips diffracto meter and Bragg-Brentano geometry.