Determination of directionally dependent structural and microstructural information using high-energy X-ray diffraction

High-energy synchrotron X-ray diffraction using a monochromatic beam and large area detector offers a unique method for the study of directionally dependent sample information. The very short wavelengths and subsequent low scattering angles mean that scattering vectors at all angles approximately perpendicular to the beam direction are sampled simultaneously. Here a method is proposed and demonstrated in which the magnitude and directions of structural and microstructural changes can be determined with higher resolution than was possible with previously used techniques. The method takes advantage of parametric refinements over multiple data sets using the profile fitting package TOPAS. Examples of the technique applied to the study of strains in multiphase zirconium alloys and microstructural texture in ferroelastic/ferroelectric ceramics are given. The angular precision in lattice strain for a diffraction image with good statistics is found to be below 0.1 degrees. (C) 2008 International Union of Crystallography Printed in Singapore - all rights reserved