Fundamentals of Powder Diffraction and Structural Characterization of Materials

This work provides an in-depth introduction to the theories and applications of the powder diffraction method for structure determination. The emphasis is placed on powder diffraction data collected using conventional x-ray sources, which remain primary tools for thousands of researchers and students in their daily experimental work. The book is divided into two parts: chapters 1-3 give essential theoretical background, while chapters 4-7 guide the reader through practical aspects of extracting structural information from powder data. The book is supplemented by a compact disc containing experimental data collected from a variety of materials that are used as examples and in the problems offered at the end of every chapter. In addition colour electronic versions of some 300 illustrations found throughout the book will be included. The book is designed for both the undergraduate and graduate students from materials science, solid-state chemistry, physics, geology, and literally any other science or engineering background, who demand structural information at the atomic resolution.