The use of CCD area detectors in charge-density research. Application to a mineral compound: the α-spodumene LiAl(SiO₃)₂

X-ray diffraction data sets collected on both Nonius and Siemens (Bruker) goniometers equipped with charge-coupled device (CCD) area detectors have been tested for the electron-density determination of the aluminosilicate mineral compound α-spodumene LiAl(SiO₃)₂, aluminium lithium silicon oxide. Data collection strategies, reflection intensity peak integration methods and experimental error estimates are different for the two instruments. Therefore, the consistency and quality of the two types of CCD measurements have been carefully compared to each other and to high-resolution data collected on a conventional CAD-4 point-detector diffractometer. Multipole density model refinements were carried out against the CCD data and the statistical factors analysed in terms of experimental weighting schemes based on the standard uncertainties of the diffraction intensities derived by the Nonius and Siemens software programs. Consistent experimental electron-density features in the Si–O–Si and Si–O–Al bridges were found from both CCD data sets. The net atomic charges obtained from the kappa refinements against each CCD data set are also in good agreement and quite comparable with the results of the conventional CAD-4 experiment.