Simultaneous diffraction and resistance measurements of metal sulphides

We describe the construction of a cell that enables the electrical resistance of a material to be measured simultaneously with the collection of powder neutron diffraction data at elevated temperatures. The cell has been used to investigate the origin of the anomalous electron-transport properties of the monosulphide, CrS. The data reveal that a decrease in electrical resistance above 573 K is associated with the disappearance of semiconducting monoclinic CrS and the concomitant growth of a disordered CdI2-type metallic phase.