X-ray Diffraction Analysis of Polymeric Solid Using Bragg-Brentano Geometry

The crystallographic structural parameters were analyzed using X’Pert-MPD XRD a laboratory X-ray source having BraggBrentano parafocusing optics. The line profile characteristics was obtained using ProFit -software based on Pseudo-Voigt profile function and is applicable for the study of interplaner spacing d, crystallite size Dhkl, percent crystallinity %C, macromolecular orientation and other structural imperfections of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The polymeric solids possess very low intense diffraction peak as compared to metal because of its small amount of crystallinity and low Z constituents. Hence, it is quite difficult to record the whole diffraction pattern using a laboratory X-ray diffractometer. So far knowledge is concerned, there is no report on the observation of second order diffraction peaks from polymers using laboratory X-ray source. In the present report we have observed well resolved first order diffraction peaks with a signature of second order pattern from a polymeric solid applying a high-resolution diffraction geometry. The X-ray diffraction data obtained for solid PET matched well with the data reported by different researchers using high intense source like synchrotron.