Download Course description

X-Ray Diffraction
X-rays are waves, and crystal lattices are natural diffraction gratings for them. XRD,
therefore, is a powerful analytical technique for non-destructive testing of any crystalline
substances.
It solves a great variety of problems:
• In industry (from cement to pharmaceutical): analysis of raw materials, intermediates and final
production;
• In mineralogy: identifications of minerals, ores, clays, etc.;
• In forensic and customs labs;
• In medical diagnostics (e.g. analysis of urinary stones);
• In structural science: almost all known atomic structures (from simple metals to proteins and
DNA) have been determined by XRD;
• In solid state and materials science: studies on kinetics and mechanism of solid-state reactions,
phase equilibria, identification of newly prepared compounds, grain size and grain orientation
analysis, etc.
Besides profound theoretical knowledge, experimental and computer skills in XRD,
students will acquire understanding of principles and power of adjacent techniques such as X-ray
fluorescence, neutron and electron diffraction.
The course is divided into two levels: Fundamentals of XRD and Advanced methods in
XRD. A student may choose the former, the latter, or both, depending on his/her interests and
academic background.