High-Speed Retained Austenite Analysis with an Energy Dispersive X-Ray Diffraction Technique

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SummaryA time saving method has been applied for the determination of retained austenite.The method involved is based on the approach of energy dispersive X-ray diffraction analysis. With this approach, polychromatic radiation from the X-ray tube is used and diffraction maxima will occur at a fixed angle 2θ in as many wavelengths or energies as “d“ values are present.Giessen and Gordon published the first application of this method to powder diffraction analysis in 1968 for the identification of crystal structures. As the determination of retained austenite is a quantitative type of analysis, based upon identification of the crystal structure, the new approach should also be applicable in principle.With almost 100 samples of unknown austenite content, experiments have been carried out both with the conventional and the energy dispersive X-ray diffraction technique. The results obtained are closely comparable and the retained austenite values together with the errors are shown.For these measurements, experiments have been carried out with the energy dispersive technique to determine the relation between the known concentration of retained austenite in a number of standards and the intensity correction factors (R). The results obtained from these experiments have shown good reproducibility of the intensity correction factors.Using this technique, a five-fold reduction in analysis time is possible over the conventional technique with no reduction in accuracy.