X-ray Diffraction (XRD) Analysis

Arkema Analytical Solutions offers state-of-the-art X-Ray diffraction (XRD) capabilities.  XRD is a powerful technique for investigating:

• Crystallinity
• Polymorphism (crystalline phase identification)
• Additives, pigments and fillers identification
• Active compounds and excipients
• Preferred orientation or texture
• Residual stress and strain

The XRD analysis method can be applied to materials in powder form, or to manufactured parts, films, plaques, fibers, cured components, coatings, wafers or multilayer systems.  Our diffractometer can be used in the Bragg-Brentano (parafocusing) configuration, or in parallel beam geometry for increased signal-to-noise ratio.  Measurements can be made in reflection, transmission and grazing (glancing) angle modes.  Temperature experiments allow the study of phase transitions for each crystalline structure present in the material.  Analysis of preferred orientation in plastics, coatings, or metals can be studied by pole figure measurements, through texture coefficient measurements, or using our CCD camera attachment.

NIST standard reference materials are used for calibration of X-ray powder diffraction measurements.  Quantification is typically done using the Reference Intensity Ratio (RIR) approach.  By combining XRD analysis with X-ray fluorescence (XRF) we can identify crystalline phases with elemental concentrations as low as 1000 ppm.  Using the current and continuously expanding electronic library published by the International Centre for Diffraction Data® (ICDD®) we can match unknown compounds against more than 250,000 known crystalline phases.