Abstract
The design and function of a reduction furnace, specially designed for solid–gas in situ monochromatic angular dispersive neutron powder diffraction, is presented. The functionality is demonstrated by performing a reduction experiment of CoFe2O4 nanoparticles at the instrument DMC at SINQ. Heating is provided by an air gun, allowing the sample to reach temperatures in the range of 300–973 K within less than 5 min. The setup is based on a single-crystal sapphire tube with one end closed. A φ scan of the tube reveals its single-crystal nature, through strong single-crystal reflections, while the remaining background is very low, uniform and flat. CoFe2O4 was reduced using a time resolution of 8 min and a sample volume of ∼2 cm3. By means of sequential Rietveld refinement of the in situ neutron diffraction data, a two-step reduction mechanism was discovered: CoFe2O4 → Co0.33Fe0.67O → CoFe2. The setup offers high temperatures, fast temperature stability, large sample volumes and respectable time resolution. The setup has proven to be ideal to carry out investigations of advanced materials under realistic conditions. The ability to investigate real materials in real time under realistic conditions may be a significant advantage for scientific investigations as well as for industrial applications.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.