ME 3701 Chapter : Lab1 Xraydiffraction
X-ray Diffraction Lab
Crystal Structure Analysis in Engineering Materials
ME 3701 Section 6
9/20/16
Xiaoman Zhang
By: Samuel Sciortino
Abstract
In this lab we used an X-ray diffraction machine to help determine what crystal structures
different materials had. This machine gave us valuable data to determine the Miller indices of the
materials through plots created by plotting the data. We recorded our peak data for angle and
intensity from the plots in tables. Then used these values and Bragg’s law Which then lead us to
be able to determine the crystal structures of the materials. In this experiment we concluded that
our Aluminum sample had an FCC crystal structure and that our Steel sample had a BCC crystal
structure.
Table of Contents
• Title Page
• List of Nomenclature, List of figures and tables
• Introduction
• Experiment apparatus and procedure
• Experiment Results
• Discussion
• Conclusion
• References
• Appendix
List of Nomenclature
• n = Order of Diffraction = 1
• a = Lattice Parameter
• d = Inter-planar Spacing
• h, k, l = Miller Indices
• λ = Wavelength = 0.154056 nm
• θ = Incident Angle
List of Figures and Tables
• Figure 1- Steel XRD Data plot
• Figure 2- Aluminum XRD Data Plot
• Figure 3- Steel Data table
• Figure 4- Aluminum Data table
• Figure 5- Diffraction planes table
Introduction
The purpose of this experiment is to learn how to use X-ray diffraction techniques to
identify different types of crystal structures encountered in metallic materials. Also to learn how
X-ray diffraction is used to determine interatomic spacing of crystalline samples through
constructive interference of reflected X-ray beams. Bragg’s law and the X-ray diffraction data
can be used to determine where defects are in a structure. In this Experiment we are collecting
data from a FCC aluminum sample and a BCC steel sample to determine the lattice parameters
Document Summary
In this lab we used an x-ray diffraction machine to help determine what crystal structures different materials had. This machine gave us valuable data to determine the miller indices of the materials through plots created by plotting the data. We recorded our peak data for angle and intensity from the plots in tables. Then used these values and bragg"s law which then lead us to be able to determine the crystal structures of the materials. In this experiment we concluded that our aluminum sample had an fcc crystal structure and that our steel sample had a bcc crystal structure. Introduction: title page, list of nomenclature, list of figures and tables, experiment apparatus and procedure, experiment results, discussion, conclusion, references, appendix. List of nomenclature: n = order of diffraction = 1, a = lattice parameter, d = inter-planar spacing, h, k, l = miller indices, = wavelength = 0. 154056 nm, = incident angle.
