Thermal parameters of MgSO4·7H2O and NiSO4·7H2O crystals added with urea and thiourea

Pure and impurity-added (with urea and thiourea) MgSO4·7H2O and NiSO4·7H2O single crystals were grown by the free-evaporation method from aqueous solutions. Density was measured by the flotation method. X-ray diffraction data were collected for powder samples and used for the estimation of thermal parameters like Debye-Waller factor, mean-square amplitude of vibration, Debye temperature and Debye frequency. The thermal parameters do not vary in a particular order with respect to impurity concentration, which could be attributed to the random disturbance created by the impurity molecules in the hydrogen-bonding system of the MgSO4·7H2O and NiSO4·7H2O lattices.