Crystal Structure Analysis Technology
X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) is one of the most powerful analytical methods for non-destructively examining the crystal structure, chemical composition and physical properties of materials. It serves a wide range from quality control to advanced R&D.
Fundamental Principle
How XRD Works
X-rays diffract from atomic planes within the material. Each crystalline phase produces peaks at its characteristic Bragg angles. These patterns are matched against reference databases to identify the material's composition and structure.
Applications
Advanced detector technologies and powerful software platforms allow XRD systems to serve both industrial quality control and advanced R&D requirements on a single platform.
XRD Systems
Italian GNR Analytical Instruments XRD systems range from powder diffractometers to dedicated residual stress and retained austenite analysers — a specialised solution for every need.
Frequently Asked Questions
XRD provides: phase identification (which crystal phases are present?), quantitative phase analysis (how much of each?), crystal lattice parameters, crystallite size, micro-strains, residual stress, retained austenite content, and thin film properties. All these analyses can be performed non-destructively on the same sample.
XRF (X-Ray Fluorescence) determines elemental composition — it answers "which elements are present and in what amounts?". XRD analyses crystal structure — it answers "in which crystalline phases do these elements reside?". For example, with an iron-containing sample, XRF gives the iron content while XRD reveals whether the iron exists as ferrite, austenite or cementite.
XRD is widely used in: steel and metallurgy (residual stress, retained austenite), mining and ceramics (mineral phase analysis), pharmaceuticals (polymorph analysis), cement and construction materials (clinker phase ratios), semiconductors and electronics (thin film analysis), automotive (component quality control), and academic research (materials development).
Manufacturing processes (welding, grinding, casting, heat treatment) create permanent internal stresses in materials. Tensile stresses accelerate fatigue cracking and shorten service life; compressive stresses improve strength. XRD non-destructively maps these stresses by measuring Bragg angle shift, enabling process parameter optimisation.
Austenite that fails to transform to martensite during quenching remains as "retained austenite". This phase reduces part hardness, impairs dimensional stability and decreases wear resistance. In high-performance applications such as automotive gears and bearings, measuring retained austenite to 1% precision per ASTM E975-03 is mandatory.
Decision points: For retained austenite only, AreX / AreX D is sufficient — speed and operator simplicity are the priority. For residual stress and field measurement, StressX or SpiderX Edge is preferred. For a multipurpose R&D lab, the Explorer's modular design is ideal. For routine phase analysis and full powder XRD including thin film, the APD 2000 PRO is the choice. Contact us for a demo and technical consultation.
Demo & Consultation
Contact our expert team for XRD analysis systems, application support or sample measurement. Over 25 years of experience at your side.
