Improving the reliability of small‐ and wide‐angle X‐ray scattering measurements of anisotropic precipitates in metallic alloys using sample rotation

• Published in: Journal of applied crystallography 2024-12, Vol.57 (6), p.1800-1814
• Main Authors: Perrin, Thomas, Chahine, Gilbert A., Arnaud, Stéphan, Després, Arthur, Heugue, Pierre, Deschamps, Alexis, De Geuser, Frédéric
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alloys; Aluminum; Aluminum base alloys; Anisotropy; Chemical precipitation; Condensed Matter; Data acquisition; Grain size; Materials Science; metallic alloys; methodology; Physics; Precipitates; Research Papers; rotation; SAXS/WAXS; Small angle X ray scattering; small‐ and wide‐angle X‐ray scattering
• ISSN: 1600-5767; 0021-8898; 1600-5767
• DOI: 10.1107/S1600576724009294

Nanometric precipitates in metallic alloys often have highly anisotropic shapes. Given the large grain size and non‐random texture typical of these alloys, performing small‐ and wide‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS) measurements on such samples for determining their characteristics (typically size and volume fraction) results in highly anisotropic and irreproducible data. Rotations of flat samples during SAXS/WAXS acquisitions are presented here as a solution to these anisotropy issues. Two aluminium alloys containing anisotropic precipitates are used as examples to validate the approach with a −45°/45° angular range. Clear improvements can be seen on the SAXS I(q) fitting and the consistency between the different SAXS/WAXS measurements. This methodology results in more reliable measurements of the precipitate's characteristics, and thus allows for time‐ and space‐resolved measurements with higher accuracy. Rotations of small‐ and wide‐angle X‐ray scattering samples during acquisition are shown to give a drastic improvement in the reliability of the characterization of anisotropic precipitates in metallic alloys.