X Ray Diffraction - XRD

Bruria Schmerling    Bruria.Schmerling@biu.ac.il    03-7384367    

X-ray diffraction is one of the most common and important techniques used to characterize material in the field of materials science. This analytical method is capable of providing both qualitative and quantitative information regarding the extent of crystallinity, crystallite size, lattice distortion, and the structure of the material. The positions and the  intensities of the obtained peaks are used to identify the structure or the phase of the material. The relationship by which diffraction occurs is known as Bragg's Law, according to which:

            nλ=2dsinθ  

where n, λ, d and θ are an integer, the wavelength of the incident ray, the interplanar spacing between planes, and the scattered angle, respectively. Since each crystalline material has a unique atomic structure, it will diffract X-rays in a unique pattern, which can serve as a ‘fingerprint’ of the material and may assist in identifying it.