Texture analysis with high-energy synchrotron radiation

Texture measurement with short-wave X-ray synchrotron radiation in the range of λ ≃ 0.1 Å is described. The measurements were carried out with the multipurpose diffraction instrument at the high-field wiggler, high-energy beamline BW5 at HASYLAB. The instrument was equipped with an on-line image-plate area detector for diffraction-image registration and a Eulerian cradle for sample orientation. The particular features of texture measurement with the BW5 instrument are: good resolution in the Bragg angle, extremely high angular resolution in crystal orientation (pole-figure angles) and particularly high penetration depth of several millimetres to centimetres, comparable with that of neutrons but at high spatial resolution. Several examples illustrate the particular advantages of this method for texture studies using large or encased samples (in situ studies in complicated environments, such as cryostats, furnaces, vacuum or pressure chambers, with no serious window problems). This allows, among others, non-destructive texture analysis in technological parts and whole components. Because of the extremely high beam intensity (short exposure times) compared with all other methods of texture measurement, the new technique is particularly suited for the study of large sample series (as is often necessary in industrial applications).