PhysicsOpenLab Modern DIY Physics Laboratory for Science Enthusiasts
We propose in this Post the XRD analysis of some metals.
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with symbol Au (from Latin: aurum) and atomic number 79. In its purest form, it is a bright, slightly reddish yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal. It is one of the least reactive chemical elements and is solid under standard conditions.
The sample examined by XRD technique consists of a quartz crystal (used in oscillators) with the surfaces partially covered by a layer of gold. The crystalline system is cubic fcc.
For the Bragg reflection of gold we fill in the following table using the following formulas :
- λ = 0.1542 nm
- d = λ / 2senθ
| hkl | 2θ | d(nm) |
| 111 | 37.67 | 0.2388 |
The interplanar distance obtained is close to the exact value which results to be 0.235 nm.
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a chemical element with symbol Al and atomic number 13. It is a silvery-white, soft, nonmagnetic and ductile metal in the boron group. By mass, aluminium makes up about 8% of the Earth’s crust; it is the third most abundant element after oxygen and silicon.
The sample examined by XRD technique consists of a fine powder sample pressed inside a plastic ring. The crystalline system is cubic fcc.
For the Bragg reflection of aluminium we fill in the following table using the following formulas :
- λ = 0.1542 nm
- d = λ / 2senθ
| hkl | 2θ | d(nm) |
| 111 | 38,33 | 0,2348 |
| 200 | 44,5 | 0,2036 |
The interplanar distance obtained is close to the exact value which results to be 0,2025 nm.
The peaks are rather broadened, this can be likely due to the little size of the aluminium powder particles.
Beryllium
Beryllium is a chemical element with symbol Be and atomic number 4. It is a relatively rare element in the universe. It is a divalent element which occurs naturally only in combination with other elements in minerals. As a free element it is a steel-gray, strong, lightweight and brittle alkaline earth metal. Because of its low density and atomic mass, beryllium is relatively transparent to X-rays and other forms of ionizing radiation; therefore, it is the most common window material for X-ray equipment and components of particle detectors.
The sample examined by XRD technique consists of a circular plate. The crystalline system is hcp (hexagonal close-packed).
For the Bragg reflection of beryllium we fill in the following table using the following formulas :
- λ = 0.1542 nm
- d = λ / 2senθ
| hkl | 2θ | d(nm) |
| 002 | 50,5 | 0,181 |
The interplanar distance obtained is close to the exact value which results to be (double the measured value) 0,358 nm.
Magnesium
Magnesium is a chemical element with symbol Mg and atomic number 12. It is a shiny gray solid which bears a close physical resemblance to the other five elements in the second column (group 2, or alkaline earth metals) of the periodic table: all group 2 elements have the same electron configuration in the outer electron shell and a similar crystal structure.
The sample examined by XRD technique consists of a thin sheet. The crystalline system is hcp (hexagonal close-packed).
For the Bragg reflection of magnesium we fill in the following table using the following formulas :
- λ = 0.1542 nm
- d = λ / 2senθ
| hkl | 2θ | d(nm) |
| 002 | 34,2 | 0,262 |
The interplanar distance obtained is close to the exact value which results to be (double the measured value) 0,521 nm.
