Texture analysis from synchrotron images with the Rietveld method: dinosaur tendon and salmon scale

• Published in: Journal of Synchrotron Radiation
• Main Authors: Lonardelli, Ivan, H. Wenk, Lutterotti, Luca, M. Goodwin
• Other Authors: H., Wenk, M., Goodwin
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2005
• Subjects: texture analysi; Rietveld method; biomineralization; dinosaur tendon; salmon scale; hydroxylapatite; Atlantic salmon
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11572/72839; https://doi.org/10.1107/S090904950500138X; http://scripts.iucr.org/cgi-bin/paper?S090904950500138X

A Rietveld method is described which extracts information on crystal structure, texture and microstructure directly from two-dimensional synchrotron diffraction images. This is advantageous over conventional texture analysis that relies on individual diffraction peaks, particularly for low-symmetry materials with many overlapping peaks and images with a poor peak-to-background ratio. The method is applied to two mineralized biological samples with hydroxylapatite fabrics: an ossified pachycephalosaurid dinosaur tendon and an Atlantic salmon scale. Both are measured using monochromatic synchrotron X-rays. The dinosaur tendon has very strongly oriented crystals with c-axes parallel to the tendon direction. The salmon scale displays a weak texture.