Correction of integrated X-ray intensities for preferred orientation in cubic powders

A method is presented for correction of integrated X-ray intensities for preferred orientation in cubic powders. It is based upon examination of the polar axis density distribution, which describes the orientation of crystallites in the specimen, and upon the use of a cubic harmonic expansion in its representation. The method was tested on four specimens of aluminium, which showed different degrees of preferred orientation. The (111), (200) and (220) lattice plane normal distributions of the specimens were determined by measurement of the integrated intensities for various polar angles. Cylindrical symmetry was effected with a specimen spinner. The corrections to the Bragg reflections were derived from the orientation distribution obtained; they ranged from 0.5 to 12%. The final values were in agreement, to the extent of 1% or less, with those of a specimen in which the orientation distribution was random within the limits of experimental error.