Applicability of Routine Methods of Crystallite Size Analysis*

Abstract

AbstractSeveral methods for the routine determination of crystallite size by means of X-ray diffraction line-broadening have previously been reported. Although these techniques have proven useful and reliable when utilized with the single X-ray diffractometer and instrumental geometry used to originally develop the methods, it was not known whether other instruments would provide similar reliability. Therefore a study was performed to evaluate the applicability of routine methods of crystallite size analysis to other X-ray diffraction units. A series of six beryllium oxide powder specimens, whose average crystallite sizes ranged stepwise from about 35 to nearly 3000 Å, were used to test a number of X-ray diffractometers. By using a predetermined diffraction geometry for each instrument tested, measured crystallite sizes were found to be quite reproducible and well within the limits of experimental error. The testing procedure, instrumental conditions, and individual performance results are presented in this paper.