Quantitative phase analysis of strongly textured alloy mixtures using neutron diffraction

Based on the Rietveld profile refinement of neutron diffraction patterns and a new texture analysis method, a quantitative phase analysis (QPA) method is proposed and examined in the case of artificially produced multiphase alloys having strong textures. The preferred-orientation factors (POFs) of the diffraction peaks were extracted from the inverse pole figure calculated from the orientation distribution function (ODF) that was computed from the averaged pole figures measured by the rotating sample stage, providing a faster and simpler texture measurement. The reliability of this method was examined using binary alloy mixtures of known fractions of zirconium and aluminium. In addition, the fraction of unknown phases in an artificially produced aluminium matrix composite was determined by introducing a standard zirconium sample. QPA of the binary mixtures successfully predicted the weight fraction of each component with an absolute error of less than 0.3 wt%. This method also provided appropriate results on the calculation of the weight fraction of unknown phases in the aluminium matrix composite.