February 2005 Newsletter.

Contents

Download a PRINTER FRIENDLY ...196Kb PDF version of the paper edition and the XRF Flyer

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Hiltonbrooks 'celebrating 25 years' who sponsored the distribution of the paper edition of this Newsletter.

1. Editorial
   
2. Musings from your Chair.
   Forthcoming Events:
   2005 Spring Meeting 12^th - 14^th April 2005, Loughborough:
3. XRD industrial thread at 2005 SM
4. XRF content at 2005 SM Spread the News!
   Autumn Meetings:18th & 19th November 2005, Birkbeck College, London.
5. Workshop on Basic Diffraction & Patents in Crystallography 18th October 2005
6. Patents & Crystallography in Industry 19th October 2005
   Meeting Reports:
7. 2004 Spring Meeting -Catalysts in Industry Report
8. Introduction To Powder Diffraction One Day Workshop 10^th June 2004 - report
9. Pharmaceutical SIG 5th October 2004, AstraZeneca, Alderley Park - report
10. Autumn Meeting, DIY Crystallography, 4th November 2004, Birkbeck College, London - report
    Book Review:
11. X-Ray and Electron Diffraction Studies in Materials Science, D.J. Dyson.
    Notices:
12. 22^nd Industrial Group AGM 16:00 on 13^th April 2004
13. Industrial Group Award: Nominations required
14. Newsletter, E-mail notice and XRF mailing lists
15. Committee Members and Addresses (2004-5)

Editorial

Welcome to this latest issue of the IG newsletter. There are a number of excellent meeting reports in this issue along with details of the forthcoming Spring Meeting and two-day Autumn Meeting. Please do try to come along. At the AGM, proposed changes to the Industrial Group Constitution will be discussed concerning membership of the Committee and their nomination. Please read the Chairman's thoughts on this very important matter on page 2. Please also read the proposed changes on the same page and contact the Secretary/Treasurer if there are issues you want to raise concerned with these changes. The AGM is on Wednesday 13th April at 4pm. Please make every effort to attend.

The Committee is proposing a two-day Autumn meeting again this year with themes around Patents and Crystallography in Industry. Make a note in your diary now.

Finally, a big thank you to all those who have written contributions for this issue.

Articles Wanted:
Why not put pen to paper and write a short article for our next Newsletter. There are lots of examples to give you some ideas in our Hints & Tips section on the WEB. Don't forget, if you attend a conference, please send in an article about it.
We are also looking to expand the range of Industrial Applications of XRD on our WEB Site. All we need are a few well-chosen pictures and a few words. How about something on CEMENTS, MINERALS, MUSEUMS, PHOTOGRAPHY, DETERGENTS, PIGMENTS, POLYMERS

WE NEED YOUE HELP! PLEASE PASS ON THE ENCLOSED ( see link to XRF flyer at top of this page) XRF MEETING INFORMATION TO YOUR XRF COLLEAGUES OR ANYONE YOU KNOW WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED!

**SPONSORS WANTED**
The Industrial Group is always looking for new sponsors for the group newsletter.
Potential sponsors, whether individuals or companies, should contact the editor or any member of the Industrial Group Committee for further information.
Sponsors will have an acknowledgement on the front page of the newsletter and if relevant, the company logo and web address.

Philip Holdway
Editor

A few thoughts from your Chairman:

This issue of the BCA Industrial Group Newsletter will bring to your attention a proposed change to the constitution rules of the group. Although I find it sad to see more and more industries abandon the use of their own research laboratories in favour of out-sourcing to other laboratories, particularly those in academia, nonetheless one has to recognise the facts. It has been particularly noticeable in the last six months as several committee members have found themselves at the heart of laboratory closures. Although I still perceive the BCA Industrial Group to be in healthy state, I feel it is important for our future that the number of committee members from academic institutions is no longer limited to three as in the present constitution. For this reason, proposed changes to the constitution are being made to the membership for discussion and hopefully your approval at the next AGM.

Personally, I feel that the program for the next BCA Spring Meeting should be suited to those with an interest in industrial crystallography given the themes of in-situ and non-ambient crystallography as the majority of industrial processes are carried out under a variety of conditions. As a member of this year's programme committee, I conveyed the ideas of the BCA-IG committee so as to provide a variety of programme slots in this year's Spring Meeting of interest to BCA-IG members. In addition, through the hard work of two of your committee members, Dave Taylor and David Beveridge, there will be a parallel programme on the subject of XRF, a first for a BCA spring meeting. At the present moment, XRF being an X-ray spectroscopic rather than a diffraction-based technique has no home within the BCA. So a further subject for discussion at this year's AGM will be whether the Industrial Group should consider enlarging its membership base beyond its traditional strength in PXRD so as to include XRF. Obviously, this would require further changes to the constitution, but I look forward to a lively discussion on this subject, either at the AGM or by email to me if you cannot attend.

The past 6 months has been busy for your chairman too. Although our old Industrial Materials Group laboratories at Birkbeck are being demolished to make way for biophysics group in the School of Crystallography, Paul Barnes and myself have moved on to newly-built laboratory space within the new Materials Chemistry Centre within the Department of Chemistry, UCL. But while we are the fortunate ones with a bright future ahead, I still empathise strongly with those less fortunate and under threat of laboratory closure. Despite these problems for some, I do hope that most of you will still have the opportunity to attend this year's meeting and AGM at Loughborough.

Jeremy Karl Cockcroft
(Chemistry, UCL & Crystallography, BBK).

Newsletter Mailing list.

To keep cost down and to ensure that the newsletter gets to the appropriate people it is essential that we know your correct address. Also if there is a more appropriate contact in your organisation or if you no longer require a copy please let us know by contacting any of the committee officers. If you would like an e-mail notification of the WEB posting rather than a paper copy, then send an e-mail to [email protected] - with the title SUBSCRIBE WEB NEWS

E-mail Mailing lists.

The IG sends about six E-mail notices each year to anyone who expresses an interest. These inform of Newsletter postings and the various meetings we organise each year. You can now register for our mailing list online and we always offer an opportunity to be removed from the list with each posting we make. REGISTER NOW!! - follow the link from the IG home page

NEW! We have introduced an XRF mailing list for our meeting in April 2005 and any subsequent XRF meetings or content in our Newsletter. Register your interest through "Part 1" of our: web form

BOOK REVIEW:
"X-Ray and Electron Diffraction Studies in Materials Science"

Author: D J Dyson
Publisher: Maney 2004 368 pages
Price: (hardback) £78 ($133) ISBN 1902653742

It is good to see a new book on x-ray and electron diffraction aimed at the less experienced analyst working in a materials laboratory that will also find use as an undergraduate learning aid. Supplying the units in formulae throughout the text is welcomed and will assist more detailed calculations. The author draws on his 40 years experience in the steel industry to add a wealth of real examples to illustrate the subject. The text covers a wide range of topics including useful sections on texture and electron diffraction which add to a balanced overview of the subject and its everyday application to Phase ID, quantitative and size strain analysis. The book is well supported with photographs and clear diagrams which complement the text as do comprehensive references.

The first half of the book has sections on; real space, crystal chemistry, intensity of diffraction, stereographic projection, instrument consideration and line profiles which provide a good grounding in the basics of crystallography and the theory of diffraction. The first chapter (p1 - 44) on Real Space gives a very clear introduction, through; symmetry, lattices, space groups to Bragg's law, of the basic crystallographic concepts needed for a full understanding of diffraction.

The second chapter (p45 - 76) on Crystal Chemistry encompasses the packing of atoms within the crystal structure, building up from simple to complex inorganic systems and covering interstitial phases, metallic glasses and silicates. The next chapter on Intensity of Diffraction (p77-98) covers the factors which influence the intensity of a reflection and the equations needed to calculate its intensity, focussing particularly on the cubic system. The fourth chapter provides a useful explanation of Stereographic Projection (p99 -114) underpinning its use in later chapters. The next chapter on Instrument Considerations (p115 - 135) covers just the basics for x-ray diffraction and offers simple practical information on instrument parameters. The sixth chapter is devoted to Line Profiles (p136 - 160) and explains the factors which affect the size and shape of diffraction peaks and offers useful advice on the use of peak fitting routines.

Chapter 7 sees a move into applications and covers Phase Identification (p161 - 189). It starts with peak location and associated errors, moves on to intensity and then identification. It has sections on precision, reference materials and the figures of merit used to scale database searches. The next chapter covers Quantitative Analysis (p191 - 234) and starts with validation which is becoming increasingly important as we strive for standardisation. It covers sampling and preparation, instrument considerations specific to quantitative work and the various procedural methods. Particular cases are studied including: airborne dusts, glassy phase, metals and clay minerals. This chapter is supported by 44 references, more than any other. Chapter 9 covers Crystallite Size Analysis (p235 - 248) and offers practical advice on the various methods and their application. The next chapter covers the specialised field of Thin Layers (p249 - 271) and introduces the use of high resolution equipment and is followed by Crystallographic Texture (p273 - 317) which is well supported with useful pictures and diagrams which help put across what is often a difficult subject in a comprehensible way. A section on Electron Backscatter leads on to the final chapter on Electron Diffraction and its Relation to XRD (p319 - 354). Here theoretical aspects including the reciprocal lattice are interspersed with practical explanations and comparisons to provide a useful grounding in understanding the complementary nature of the two disciplines.

All laboratories working on the everyday applications of x-ray and electron diffraction will find this book a useful addition to their bookshelf.

Dave Taylor
December 2004.