The Super-D2B project at the ILL

Demand for neutron powder diffraction (NPD) is still increasing strongly, despite the development of techniques such as synchrotron radiation and electron microscopy. This is because NPD hasunique advantages, and new, more powerful neutron diffractometers address the only real problem-intensity. In particular, the strong magnetic scattering of neutrons, and the strong scattering power of the light elements, are two major advantages compared to X-ray and electron diffraction. As well, powder diffraction itself often has advantages over single crystal diffraction for both neutrons and X-rays. High resolution powder diffraction reveals subtle phase transitions that might be missed with single crystals, and special sample conditions of pressure and temperature are often easier to apply with NPD. But, finally, the main advantage of powder diffraction comes from the fact that new materials are almost always first available only as powders.