AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Acquire the basic knowledge of X-ray powder diffraction techniques, through practical activities aimed at interpreting diffraction data. Knowledge of the instrumentation and operational techniques for compositional and structural analyses.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims at providing the practical and operational tools necessary to analyze and interpret powder diffraction data. At the end of the lessons the student will be able to correctly interpret and use the International Tables of Crystallography and will have acquired useful knowledge for the characterization of polycrystalline materials. In particular, the student is expected to be able to interpret simple powder diffraction patterns and to identify the phases present through indexing and calculation of lattice parameters. Moreover, the student will be able to perform a structural refinement by means of the Rietveld method.

TEACHING METHODS

Lessons are provided according to traditional methods, ie through lectures and guided exercises / practical activities. Usually the exercises involve the whole class, while the practical activities, being of greater complexity, are proposed to groups of students. The latter activities require the use of specific crystallographic software. At the end of the practical activities, a written report is required.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Basic concepts of diffraction: Laue equations and Bragg's law; structure factor and diffracted intensities.
Elements of crystallography: lattices, crystallographic planes and directions, crystal systems and space groups.
International Tables of Crystallography: their description and usage.

Diffraction techniques. Interpretation of powder diffraction data: indexing procedures, identification of phases, structural refinement by Rietveld method

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

In addition to the lecture material, available on Aulaweb, the following texts are recommended:

• V. K. Pecharsky, P. Y. Zavalij “Fundamentals of powder diffraction and structural    characterization of materials” Kluwer Academic Press
• International Tables of Crystallography Vols.1-4

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

MARCELLA PANI (President)

LETIZIA SAVIO (President)

LESSONS

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam includes a written part, usually 3 problems or questions of a practical nature.
If the written test is passed with the grade of at least 16/30, the exam proceeds with an interview on the topics covered in class.
The final grade takes into account the evaluation of the practical activities (30%) and the average mark of both the written and oral parts (70%).

ASSESSMENT METHODS

In addition to the student's ability to present a topic in a general framework, his/her skills in reasoning and answering to specific questions, both theoretical and applicative, are evaluated. Passing the exam presupposes the correct acquisition of theoretical concepts, and the ability to transfer this theoretical knowledge to practical applications.

Exam schedule