| Abstract Scope |
Over the past twenty years, unconventional neutron and synchrotron diffraction analyses have been refined to gather complementary information, primarily in situ and in real-time, to address materials development across multiple length scales—from atomic arrangements and nano- and microstructures to engineering dimensions. Synchrotron high-energy X-ray diffraction allows for tracking and decomposing phase composition, lattice strain and expansion, from the morphology, such as microstructural evolution, phase orientation correlations, and their defect kinetics. Multi-dimensional data analysis has been developed to track these features, underpinning algorithms for automated data analysis.
For instance, integrating a Gleeble thermo-mechanical processor with a high-energy synchrotron beam and automated data recognition and reduction could accelerate materials development by two to three orders of magnitude. This system could be operated by a non-diffraction specialist, providing real-time results to materials experts in situ. |