Improvements to x-ray diffractometers: Heaters, hygrometry, and thermodifferential and spectra analyses

3 pages, 2 figures, 1 table.We describe a newly designed stainless steel door which holds cooling fluids and permits the connection of a set of self-improvements to mechanical supplies, sensors, thermocouples, electronic circuits, and new software to traditional x-ray diffraction chambers. Some compatible analytical routines, at various gas temperatures (from 18 to 200 °C), stem from restricted combinations of stimulation sources to the sample (x irradiation and heating) and the detector sensors (Geiger x-ray diffraction spectra charge coupled devices, humidity, image TV, thermocouples differential thermal analysis installed). Phase transitions of solids can be detected by spectral, structural, geometrical, and thermodifferential methods.The Spanish DGICYT PB98-0501 and European PNICYDT 1FD97-0959-C03-01 projects supported the work.Peer reviewe