X‐ray Diffraction

The most familiar method of determination of a crystal structure is the X-ray diffraction technique. X-ray diffraction is the most effective and nondestructive method that is applied for the characterization of crystalline substances. Von Laue treatment: Laue's equation is the more general method of treating scattering of X-rays from individual atoms and then reuniting them to obtain the direction, having a diffraction maxima. An X-ray diffractometer consists of three basic and major components that lie over the circumference of a circle, called the focusing circle. These components are: X-ray tube, sample holder, detector. The chapter explains the orientation of a single crystal, but in actual practice the substances are produced in polycrystalline aggregate form consisting of many crystals. X-ray diffraction is also the principal tool in geological investigations. Each mineral is associated with a characteristic crystal structure and thus a characteristic X-ray diffraction pattern.