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IUCr 1995 Report - International Centre for Diffraction Data (ICDD)

The International Centre for Diffraction Data (ICDD) is a non-profit scientific organization that collects, edits, publishes and distributes powder diffraction data for the identification of crystalline materials.

Mission Statement

The International Centre for Diffraction Data will continue as the world centre for quality diffraction data to meet the needs of the technical community. The ICDD promotes the applications of materials characterization methods in science and technology by providing a forum for the exchange of ideas and information.

The ICDD Organization

The ICDD membership comprises scientists from various affiliations - educational, governmental, industrial. Approximately 100 scientists from around the world constitute the active membership from which the organization draws its Board of Directors, Committees and Sub-committees. The members, who are volunteers, are actively engaged in developments in the field of X-ray powder diffraction and related disciplines. A paid scientific and administrative staff is responsible for the production of the various databases offered by the ICDD.

Technical Committee (Chairman elected for two-year term)

At present, the Technical Committee consists of 15 active Sub-committees: Ceramics, Crystal Data, Data Collection and Analysis, Diffraction Problems, Education, Electron Diffraction, Metals and Alloys, Minerals, New Product Research & Development, Organic and Forensic, Pattern Calculations, PDF Database, PDF Editorial Staff, Search/Match Methods and Target Systems for Technical Committee Activity. These Committees meet twice a year to report on their progress.

ICDD Assisted Research

The ICDD sponsors a Grants-in-Aid Programme to provide high-quality data and to develop search techniques for the identification of materials by powder diffraction methods.

ICDD Educational Commitments

The ICDD sponsors a worldwide program of workshops, seminars and schools. The ICDD Clinic on X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRD) comprises two one-week courses in the fundamentals of qualitative and quantitative X-ray diffraction. The ICDD also sponsors the Clinic on X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (XRF) in the fundamentals of qualitative and quantitative X-ray fluorescence. Both the XRF Clinic and the XRD Clinic are conducted annually during the summer months. Schedules and fees for educational activities may be obtained from ICDD headquarters.

Activities of the ICDD for 1995

The International Centre for Diffraction Data announced the award of four Crystallography Scholarships for 1996. Mr P. M. Leu, University of California, Davis, USA, Mr A. Oakley, St Vincent's Institute of Medical Research, Australia, Ms L. Shimoni, Fox Chase Cancer Center, USA, and Mr H. Xu, Princeton University, USA, have been designated recipients by the ICDD Scholarship Award Selection Committee. P. Leu's research centres on the theoretical development of a holographic technique to determine atomic crystal structure from electron or fluorescent X-ray diffraction data. A. Oakley is exploring crystal structure function by X-ray crystallography and computer graphics techniques. L. Shimoni is determining the crystal structure of various enzymes and H. Xu is studying high-temperature TEM and X-ray diffraction of the order-disorder phase transition in beta$-eucryptite.

At the Fall meeting of ICDD, CPD member D. K. Smith was elected by the Board as a Distinguished Fellow. Professor Smith has contributed greatly over the past 30 years as a scientist, Board member (Chairman), Grantee, Journal Editor and principal teacher of ICDD XRD Clinics. His international contributions to conferences in Australia, Denver (USA) and Egypt are well recognized by his colleagues and his current activity with the CPD World Directory of Powder Diffraction Programs has saved many scientists from `re-inventing the same software'. He recently retired from Penn State after 27 years as a Professor of Mineralogy.

On 20 December 1995, Chairman G. C. Johnson Jr announced to staff and ICDD members that D. Richardson had submitted his resignation as the General Manager of ICDD as of 1 January 1996. D. Richardson brought new perspective to the Centre and leaves the organization on a strong financial footing. The Executive Committee has begun the process of locating a new General Manager.

On 22 February 1996, the results of the recent election were announced. Chairman: R. L. Snyder; Vice-Chairman: CPD consultant and former Chairman R. A. Young; Technical Committee Chairman: T. C. Huang; members-at-large: C. R. Hubbard, J. A. Kaduk, T. N. Blanton, C. E. Crowder and C. Lowe-Ma will continue as members-at-large. G. C. Johnson Jr fills the position of Past-Chairman.

The ICDD X-ray Clinics will be held in June 1996 at the International Centre for Diffraction Data headquarters in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, USA. The ICDD Clinic on X-ray Powder Diffraction will be held in two week-long sessions as follows: Fundamentals of X-ray Powder Diffraction (3-7 June 1996); Advanced Methods in X-ray Powder Diffraction (10-14 June 1996).

The ICDD Clinic on X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry will be held 17-21 June 1996.

Highlights of 1995 technical activities

ICDD Products

PDF - Set 45, Alphabetical Index & Search Manual: 2000 new patterns edited by Editorial Staff, Metals and Alloys, and Minerals Sub-committees.

Electron Diffraction Database -1993 Release (actually released in 1995): total entries 82K (new 10K), tested by Electron Diffraction Sub-committee.

Crystal Data Identification File - 1994 Release (Update G): total entries 200K (new 15K), assisted by Crystal Data Sub-committee

Round robin studies

Crystallite Size and Microstrain Determination (R. L. Snyder and J. Fiala, co-sponsored by ICDD and CPD); Evaluation of Practices in Ab Initio Pattern Indexing (D. Loue¨r, Data Collection & Analysis Sub-committee); Profile Fitting (Cline, Data Collection & Analysis Sub-committee); Preferred Orientation (E. Crowder, Diffraction Problems Sub-committee); X-ray Reflectivity (N. Blanton, Data Collection & Analysis Sub-committee).

Conferences/Workshops

Denver X-ray Conference (August, Colorado Springs, CO, USA): Basic Crystallography for Diffractionists (Organizers: D. K. Smith and R. L. Snyder); Crystallographic and Phase Diagram Databases (T. C. Huang, A. Mighell and W. Wong-Ng); Open Session on Attacking Problems in XRD and XRF Analysis (G. J. McCarthy and R. Jenkins); Parallel Beam Optics (Eatough and Goehner); PDF and New Techniques in Phase Analysis (R. Jenkins and C. M. Foris); Rietveld Analysis (J. A. Kaduk and L. Iyengar); Use of Spreadsheets in X-ray Analysis (R. Jenkins and Klimasers).

EPDIC IV (July, Chester, England): Powder Diffraction File (R. Jenkins, J. W. Visser and Rysel).

BCA Annual Spring Meeting (March, Cardiff, UK): Use of Powder Diffraction File (R. Jenkins).

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Updated 13th February 1997

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