A User's Manual for Fiber Diffraction: The Automated Picker and Huber Diffractometers

This report describes the automated Picker and Huber X-ray diffractometer systems in use at the Materials Laboratory Polymer Branch. The diffractometer hardware is described from the users point of view and a complete description is given of the use of the operations software for both the Picker and Huber systems. The control computer is a VAX 11730. A device for applying tension to the fiber sample allows studies of the effect of tension fiber morphology as seen by diffraction methods. Analysis programs developed to process the diffraction data from the Picker Huber systems are explained and examples are given of program use, and in some cases, the results obtained are presented. An Appendix is included which contains a discussion of some of the hardware adjustments that may be required. The organization of the FORTRAN programs used by the VAX computer to control the diffractometer is explained. Utility programs for making various operational tests are also covered.