Question

X-ray diffraction peak broadening enables the estimation of

• A. crystallite size of the material
• B. microstrain in the material
• C. precise lattice parameter
• D. residual macrostress acting on the material

Hint:

X-ray diffraction peak broadening provides valuable information about both the crystallite size and microstrain in a material, which can be used for material characterization.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A, B

X-ray diffraction (XRD) is a powerful technique for analyzing the structure of crystalline materials. One important aspect of XRD is the analysis of peak broadening, which provides valuable information about the material's microstructure. The broadening of diffraction peaks is influenced by both the size of the crystallites and the internal strain within the material. 1. Crystallite size of the material: The size of the crystallites (the small domains of ordered atoms) is related to the broadening of the diffraction peaks. According to the Scherrer equation, the width of the X-ray diffraction peak is inversely proportional to the crystallite size. A larger crystallite size results in a narrower peak, while a smaller crystallite size leads to a broader peak. Therefore, X-ray diffraction peak broadening can be used to estimate the crystallite size of the material. This corresponds to option (A). 2. Microstrain in the material: Microstrain refers to the small distortions within the crystal lattice that cause changes in the interatomic distances. These distortions also contribute to the broadening of the X-ray diffraction peaks. The microstrain causes a distribution of lattice spacings, leading to peak broadening in the diffraction pattern. This effect is often used to estimate the level of internal strain in the material, which corresponds to option (B). 3. Precise lattice parameter: While the X-ray diffraction technique can provide information about the lattice parameter, the broadening of the peaks itself does not directly enable precise determination of the lattice parameter. The lattice parameter is typically determined from the position of the diffraction peaks rather than their width. Hence, option (C) is not the correct answer in this context. 4. Residual macrostress acting on the material: Residual stresses, which are macroscopic in nature, can affect the diffraction peaks but are not primarily responsible for peak broadening in the same way as crystallite size or microstrain. Therefore, option (D) is not the correct answer. Thus, the correct answers are (A) crystallite size of the material and (B) microstrain in the material.
Final Answer: (A) crystallite size of the material and (B) microstrain in the material