COMBINED QUEXAFS-XRD - A NEW TECHNIQUE IN HIGH-TEMPERATURE MATERIALS CHEMISTRY - AN ILLUSTRATIVE IN-SITU STUDY OF THE ZINC OXIDE-ENHANCED SOLID-STATE PRODUCTION OF CORDIERITE FROM A PRECURSOR ZEOLITE

The power of combined quick EXAFS (QuEXAFS) and X-ray diffraction as a structural and kinetic tool in high-temperature solid-state chemistry is exemplified by the study of the conversion of Mg2+-exchanged zeolite B to cordierite, a process facilitated by trace amounts of zinc oxide. With a setup consisting of a position-sensitive detector and a rapidly scanning monochromator, time-resolved studies of short-range and long-range order within samples held in excess of 1000-degrees-C are routinely possible.