A miniature furnace suitable for X-ray Weissenberg photography up to 1000°C

A miniature heater unit suitable for routine collection of X-ray data from single crystals up to 1000°C, with room temperature Weissenberg camera, without any need for water-cooling of the film-cassette is described. The furnace is current-heated and essentially consists of two coaxial platinum wire wound silica tubes, held on a quartz bracket, such that there is a 4 mm X-ray gap between them. The crystal placed at the middle of the gap is heated primarily by the radiant heat from the furnace. The specimen temperature is measured by a built-in Pt/Pt-13% Rh thermocouple previously calibrated in situ against the melting of different substances. The thermal gradient over a crystal, 1 mm long, is around 5°C at 800°C. The furnace has the possibility of use up to 1500°C.