One of the areas of X-ray powder diffraction receiving considerable attention in recent years is quantitative analysis. This analysis depends on an accurate measurement of integrated diffraction line intensities. In order to study the accuracy of these measurements we have calculated integrated intensities from single crystal data for single substance powders and compared them to experimental data obtained in our laboratory.

The operation of a new polycrystalline phase identification method using the IBM Series/1 minicomputer is described. Data of the unknown can be entered by automatic transfer of previous runs, stored data sets and manually. Full screen menu selections are provided to facilitate operations and correct entries. Typical S/M time for a multi-phase inorganic mixture containing 43 reflections using a 0.3° window averaged 11 sec per 100 standards and with simple chemical prescreening less than 4 sec including program initialization and calculations of comprehensive figures of merit. Interactive options provide graphics terminal comparison of the unknown pattern with selected standards which appear as diffractometer patterns, subtraction of identified standards from the unknown and others. Utility programs permit storing data sets for later analysis, user created files and a program to display any file standard as a diffractometer pattern.

Recent advances in semiconductor particle detector resolutions along with new electronic circuitry associated with these detectors make possible their application in nondispersive elemental analysis. The use of radioactive sources for exciting the characteristic X-rays provides highly stable systems which can be used to accumulate data for prolonged periods. Due to the inherent stability of the detector and the excitation source, the only limitation in sensitivity is the ability to accumulate statistics above the background of scattered counts. Since this method of analysis is nondispersive, it has the capacity to determine many elements simultaneously. Solutions composed of mixtures of three or four elements were studied. The elements selected were bromine, rubidium, and strontium. These elements exhibit wide variations in mass absorption coefficients for the various characteristic X-rays emitted. The concentrations of the elements in solution varied from 10 ppm to 5% by weight. The relative intensities of the characteristic X-ray lines were compared with the concentration of the solutions to establish sensitivity curves and to study linearity of response as well. The interelemental interference was studied and the effect was evaluated for the particular elements under study. Means were developed for predicting and correcting for matrix effects.

Wires of 18 different metals were exploded in nitrogen by the discharge of a 20-μF capacitor bank charged to 10 kV. The resulting aerosols were collected under nitrogren on membrane e filters, which were mounted on glass slides and used directly in the sample holder of a recording X-ray diffractometer. The X-ray data were analyzed to determine the composition and approximate crystallite size of the particulates produced by the wire explosions in nitrogen and subsequent exposure to air.

Nitrides are found as reaction products from the explosion in nitrogen of aluminum, iron, indium, tantalum, thorium, uranium, tungsten, and zirconium. No nitrides were detected in the samples from cadmium, copper, magnesium, molybdenum, lead, and tin explosions, although such nitrides are known to exist; and the aerosols produced in nitrogen by the explosion of silver, gold, molybdenum, platinum, and tin consist almost entirely of metal particles. Oxides are attributed to contamination of the nitrogen or exposure of the samples to air.

Most of the crystallites observed are less than 1000 Å as determined from X-ray line broadening find confirmed in some instances by electron microscopy. For the UN2 and ThO2, crystallite sizes of the order of 130 Å and 50 Å, respectively, are observed. In samples comprised of a mixture of phases, the constituents usually have different mean crystallite sizes. The crystallite size is not affected dramatically by the ambient nitrogen pressure or voltage used.

A flow proportional counter for ultrasoft x-ray applications has been constructed and used to measure proportional counter parameters in the ultrasoft x-ray region at atmospheric and subatmospheric pressures for counting gases of P-10 and methane. We find that at atmospheric pressures the parametrization given by Zastawny for describing gas amplification in proportional counters applies and have measured values for the parameters for P-10 and methane. For subatmospheric pressures the Zastawny parameters are inadequate. A new parametrizatlon is required. In addition, the linearity of the detector for x-rays of energies of 15 KeV to 0.5 KeV was measured for pressures ranging from 750 Torr to 150 Torr and found to be excellent in all pressure regions.

X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy is new becoming a tool in research and. industry. Semiconductor detectors are proving valuable in measuring fluorescent X rays, and so are providing a versatile tool for rapid multielement analysis of many types of samples. This paper will mainly be concerned with, different types of copper ore. An experimental setup has been designed to determine Cu, Fe and Pb of concentration ranging from 0.1 to 20, to 5, and to 4 percent, respectively, with analytical precision of 20% relative at 0.1% Cu, and 3% relative at 20% Cu. For excitation a 100 mCi Pu-238 source and/or a low power air-cooled X-ray tube were used. Data acquisition and “on-line” evaluation for each sample takes about 100 seconds. Electronics blocks and sub-systems used In the set-up are available commercially. The most important benefit to be obtained from the setup is the ability to provide precise, reproducible determinations of large numbers of samples day after day.

Slow data acquisition rates have, in the past, limited the use of X-ray diffraction for characterization of polymeric materials. Photon counting techniques yield quantitative data in digital form for computer analysis. However, a great deal of data acquisition time is required when data is taken sequentially; i.e., when each intensity determination (at a particular goniometer setting) requires a separate time interval, during which intensity at other angle values is ignored. The problem is particularly acute for oriented polymers since two or more diffraction angles are involved: The Bragg angle along with at least one orientation angle. For this reason, an area-imaging (two-dimensional) proportional counter has been developed for use with a four-circle X-ray diffraction system. Although basically a single-crystal unit, this goniometer has been used in this laboratory and others for studies of oriented polymers. The receiving pinhole collimator and aperture have been removed, and the area-imaging counter has been mounted on the detector arm track. The original receiving aperture is still used for alignment, and the area detector Is positioned with its center at the receiving aperture center position.

Uniformity of particle size is most critical iti both X-ray spectrographic and diffraction samples. This is especially true when there are both hard and soft materials in the sample. The soft material reduces to a smaller particle size and therefore presents a great density and area to the X-ray beam. Accurate quantitative determinations are most difficult under these clrcum s tances. This paper decribes a means of grinding to a more uniform particle size and presents graphic data on the effects of particle-size variation.

Characteristic soft x-ray emission lines created as a result of low energy (10-100keV) positive ion excitation of a target material has been applied to the study of thin films of oxygen that form naturally on metal surfaces. The specific metals investigated were aluminum and nickel aa well as a number of their corresponding alloys.

Low energy positive ions are well suited as projectiles for the study of thin films in that they have low penetrating powers, yet produce high x-ray yields for K-, L-, and M-shell elemental x-ray lines. Perhaps the most important feature is the fact that no background bremsstrahlung continuum x-radiation is generated in the slowing processes of the ions. Exploiting the advantages of these facts, a special high sensitivity detection technique has been developed for the soft x-ray analysis of the constituents that make up a particular thin surface film.

The physical basis for thickness and atomic density measurements of thin surface films by positive ion excitation are discussed. Calibration data are presented for thin films of known thickness and composition establishing the sensitivity of the method for the measurement of the elemental atomic densities of thin films down to a few monolayers or approximately 10 Å in thickness. Finally, the results of the analysis of oxide surface films of aluminum, nickel and some of their alloys are presented and discussed.

The objective of this continuing program is to gain an understanding of the mechanisms and principles governing the formation of oxide surface films on metals with the basic goal of producing new alloying techniques for metal passification in a saline environment.

The role of statistics in certain areas of X-ray fluorescence analysis is considered. The topics discussed include: calculating the standard deviation associated with the result of an analysis; optimizing experimental parameters for both wavelength and energy dispersive analyses; evaluating limits of detection, limits of decision, and limits of determination; and weighting in the least squares fitting of data in single element polynomial relationships and in multi-element multiple regression analysis.

The x-ray spectroscopy of laser-generated plasmas can be applied to photon energies of less than 1 keV, provided calibrations of the response of energy discriminators and detectors are performed in the sub-kilovolt region. In our application we use photographic film to monitor the intensity of radiation dispersed by a curved lead stearate crystal. We have determined the response to sub-kilovolt x-rays of two types of film, Kodak No-Screen and the special vacuum ultra-violet Kodak type 101-01. This calibration was obtained by exposing samples of film to continuous beams of nearly monochromatic characteristic radiation from an array of targets. The fluorescent radiations were the K series of carbon and magnesium and the L series of titanium, nickel, cobalt and copper. The response data are presented as a series of characteristic curves, plotting for each film type and photon energy the net diffuse photographic density as a function of the photon flux incident on the film. The processing of all film was in accordance with the manufacturer's suggestions. We attempt to characterize the accuracy and reproducibility of these data. The data demonstrate the greater sensitivity of the type 101-01 to sub-kilovolt x-rays.

The intensity and spectral purity of the incident fluorescent beams were monitored by a thin-window gas proportional counter that used flowing propane gas at sub-atmospheric pressures. We describe the procedures and results of a determination of the quantum efficiency of this counter as a function of photon energy.

We describe a new and reliable experimental technique for the measurement of mass absorption coefficients in the 0.1 to 1 keV energy range. In this technique, the absorbing film is supported directly on a substrate which under proton bombardment will generate the x-rays whose absorption will be measured. Results are given for thirteen different metals at the C Kα (277 eV) line.

Deformation in polycrystalline materials is highly inhomogeneous on a micro scale. This inhomogeneity arises from the anisotropy of the constituent grains, coupled with local configurational parameters such as texture, gram size or proximity to a free surface. In a recent paper, we had outlined a new method that extended the traditional x-ray stress analysis to yield quantitative measures of such inhomogeneous deformation. In this paper, this method is used to study the partitioning of inhomogeneous deformation between the phases of 60-40 brass tensile specimens subjected to applied loads.

For many years the International Centre for Diffraction Data has sponsored round robins covering various aspects of X-ray powder Diffraction with the objective of illuminating and understanding current practices and problems associated with, the analysis of diffraction data. As computer analysis of diffraction data becomes ever more sophisticated, analytic capabilities are extended and the performance, not only of the instrumentation must be checked, but also that of the software which converts the measured data into useful results. In recent years, therefore, we have personally participated in a cell parameter round-robin, a d-spacing round-robin, a peak hunting round-robin, and, most recently, the present intensity round-robin and a line profile round-robin. Still others are in progress or being planned.

The radiation from plasmas produced by the interaction of a pulsed laser and a solid target can be made to fall in the soft x-ray regime. The x-rays can serve as an alternative to the increasingly important synchrotron radiation facilities for a variety of techniques such as Extended X-ray Absorption Fine-Structure Spectroscopy and X-ray Lithography. In addition, the x-rays are of special interest for general microradiography of thin samples.

A compact, high-intensity pulsed soft X-ray system has been used to study the response characteristics of a plastic scintillation phosphor (NE-102). In particular, the decay characteristics of this phosphor plated on one surface with a thin (<1000 Å) layer of aluminum were investigated. Although, absolute calibration of the X-ray source had not been performed, estimates of X-ray scintillation efficiency were obtained, using two separate methods, which were in agreement to within a factor of two.

The primary purpose of this cursory program was to establish the validity of transferring calibration data from plated to unplated NE-102 scintillators employed in a photometric recording system. The results of the ensuing investigation indicated the equivalence of the two, but revealed several interesting and unsuspected phenomena. These were (1) an apparent scintillation light reflectance component of zero from the plated aluminum “mirror” surface, (2) a change in pulse waveform from electron beam input to scintillation light output, and (3) a 90-nsec delay between electron beam and photomultiplier signals. The methods employed in obtaining and verifying these data are subject to errors from uncertainty in the characteristics of several components employed in the experimental setup. These uncertainties and other measurement errors caused independent estimates of the external scintillation light efficiency to range from 0.1 to 0.2 %.

Other potential applications of a pulsed soft X-ray system to measurement problems in industry and research include dynamic studies in the fields of X-ray crystallography, instrumental methods of materials analysis, and radiography of low-density subjects.

Errors pertinent in dual beam absorptiometry have been studied. Five areas are given in detail: 1. Scattering, in which a computer analysis of multiple scattering shows little error. 2. Geometrical configuration effects, in which the shape of the sample influences accuracy. 3. Poisson variations, in which dosage and statistical error are minimized. 4. Absorption coefficients, in which variations in compilations are examined. 5. Filtering, wherein is shown the need for Kβ filtering. A zero filter system is outlined.

A technique is described for the study of the early stages of precipitation hardening in single-crystalline and poly crystalline copperberyllium alloys. Since no trace of the equilibrium precipitate responsible for hardening can be detected by ordinary X-ray or metallographic techniques prior to the onset of overaging, the described method is based on the changes produced in the matrix as the result of the formation of aggregates along preferred lattice planes. Such formations produce accommodation strains in the matrix lattice which, can be detected as a change in the intensity and angular range of matrix reflection.

An interpretation of the age hardening sequence in a copper - beryllium, alloy after isothermal annealing is presented in terms of fundamental transformations.

The two general uses of proportional counters in X-ray analysis are discussed in the light of advantages and limitations inherent in the type of counter construction. Some effects on spectrographic results and industrial gaging are cited.

In the microprobe, lead stearate decanoate multilayer analyzers have proven to be practical components for X-ray spectrochemical analysis of the light elements. Better controlled techniques in the deposition of the layers have already produced analyzers yielding improved peak to background ratios as well as higher counting rates. Operational techniques, optimizing instrumental performance, will be discussed. Analytical data on the elements fluorine through boron, obtained with a modified commercial microprobe, will be presented.