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Zinc sulphide was obtained through hydrothermal decomposition of [Zn(S2CNEt2)] under different experimental conditions such as temperatures and reaction times. Hydrothermal reactions were carried out in a stainless steel autoclave at 160, 180 and 200 °C for 3, 6 and 24 hours. The obtained products were characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning and high resolution transmission electron microscopies. Particle size and microstrain were determined by Rietveld refinement of experimental X-ray diffraction patterns. The obtained crystal size values were in the range of 6.1 to 30 nm and as the temperature and reaction times increase the particle size also increases. Band gap values are in the range of 3.34 to 3.60 eV and are highly dependent on the crystal microstrain. The catalyst activities were studied through the degradation of methylene blue dye solutions under ultraviolet radiation.

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The present work investigates the effect of the initial microstructure on phase transformation after intercritical annealing by measuring the amount of austenite, which was obtained by X-ray diffraction and saturation magnetisation. Pieces of 8 Mn steel were austenitised at 1100°C for 1 h followed by different cooling rates: water, air, and furnace. Samples of each piece were subsequently intercritically annealed from 600 to 800°C followed by air cooling. The microstructure was characterised using scanning electron microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction. Results show how changing the cooling rate affects the temperature of intercritical annealing at which the highest content of retained austenite was obtained.

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A natural sodalite from the geological site Alkaline Complex of Floresta Azul, Bahia, Brazil, has been characterized by electron microprobe, infrared spectroscopy, and powder high-resolution X-ray diffraction techniques. The mineral is an aluminosilicate framework, formed by cages called sodalite unity. Although the sample is natural, the chemical analysis reveals that it is indeed the end member sodalite sensu strictu, Na 8 ͓Si 6 Al 6 O 24 ͔Cl 2 . Infrared spectroscopy shows Si, Al tetrahedral-oxygen stretching nonsymmetric mode, stretching symmetric mode, and bending modes. Indexing of the experimental X-ray diffraction pattern led to cubic space group P-43n, and unit-cell parameters: a = 8.8767͑7͒ Å, D x = 2.301 g cm −3 , and V = 699.46͑1͒ Å 3 . X-ray diffraction data are reported. Rietveld refinement was also performed, and the confidence factors are Rp= 0.079, Rwp= 0.118, and 2 = 2.19. The structure of the minerals of sodalite group holds four different tetrahedra: AlO 4 , ClNa 4 , Na͑ClO 3 ͒, and SiO 4 , with Al, Cl, Na, and Si located at the center of each tetrahedron.