• Weller, Mark T.
• Kenyon, N. J.

Abstract

Deuterated forms of cancrinite, [Na(CO).(D O)] [AlSiO] - CAN, and intermediate phase mixed disordered cancrinite-sodalite [Na (CO).(DO)] [AlSiO] - CAN/SOD, have been synthesised and studied using variable temperature, high resolution powder neutron diffraction. The structure of cancrinite shows anions are present only in the main 12-membered ring channels, with water molecules co-ordinating to sodium in the 11-hedral ε-cages. In situ, powder neutron diffraction, studies of the thermal decomposition of cancrinite and the disordered cancrinite/sodalite show marked differences in their behaviours. Both materials undergo a lattice contraction as water is lost between 100 and 300 °C though this process, and decomposition of the aluminosilicate framework, occur at significantly lower temperatures for the disordered structure.

Topics

• impedance spectroscopy
• phase
• Sodium
• neutron diffraction
• thermal decomposition