Quartz low to high phase transition

An in-situ XRD study of the phase transition of Quartz.

Quartz has a sharp phase transformation from α (s.g. P3121) to β (s.g. P6222) phase (1) which takes place through an incommensurate modulated structure with-in a temperature range of 1.3 °C.

The well-defined temperature and sharpness of this phase transformation makes it possible to use it for temperature calibration.

Experimental and results

Several high temperature powder diffraction meas-urements have been carried out on a quartz sample increasing the temperature in 1 °C steps in the vicinity of the phase transformation. Unfortunately the change in symmetry during the phase transformation is hardly visible from powder diffraction patterns, and only the intensity of one weak reflection (111) changes signifi-cantly: from a relative intensity of 2 % it nearly vanishes after transition. In addition, this change took place continuously over a temperature range of a few °C. Reflections at higher 2θ range show that the phase transformation is cou-pled with a small change in the lattice parameter.

 

References

1. R.B.Sosman. Trans. Brit. Ceram. Soc., 54. 1955, 663

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