As a (future) user of a Malvern Panalytical X-ray diffractometer you can perform almost all types of diffraction applications, depending on the configuration of your system. To get the best possible results out of your system, this book gives you an introduction to X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD or, mostly used, XRD) and provides helpful information. It gives a simple explanation of how a diffractometer works and how XRD analysis is done. This book is intended both for people new to the field of XRD analysis and for more experienced users to find new applications which might be helpful in daily work. This book avoids complex mathematical equations and understanding its contents only requires a basic knowledge of crystallography, mathematics and physics. It is not dedicated to specific diffractometer configurations or application areas, but aims to give a global overview of the various possibilities in XRD.
Chapter 2 briefly explains XRD and its benefits. General application fields are presented. Chapter 3 gives an introduction to the physics and crystallography of XRD, while Chapter 4 describes how this is used for diffraction experiments. Chapter 5 explains the XRD data collection. This includes presentation of sample preparation and measurement procedures to get the best possible results. In Chapters 6-9 the procedures to perform qualitative and quantitative phase analysis are presented. Chapter 10 deals with non-ambient XRD and describes its methods and applications together with other techniques. Chapter 11 lists recommended literature for further information on XRD analysis.
Since this book is intended to give an introduction to standard powder diffraction techniques, it does not cover other X-ray techniques like single crystal diffraction, high-resolution XRD of heteroepitaxial layers, or small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS).
