Data Evaluation Procedure for High-resolution Neutron Diffraction Methods

Abstract

An evaluation procedure for high-resolution powder neutron diffraction data was developed for determination of microstructural parameters, such as a lattice strain, microstrain, crystallite size and/or distribution of the interplanar spacing from single diffraction lines. The standard analytical reciprocalspace models are used to treat the microstrain and crystallite size contribution to the profile broadening whereas the contribution of interplanar spacing distribution is described by the real space (generally asymmetric) function. The smearing by instrumental curve is included. The PC program created on the basis of this procedure is running in a largely automated regime and can be successfully used for fitting of large sets of spectra, e.g. recorded during in situ mechanical tests.