X-ray Diffractometry in Forensic Science

X-ray Diffractometry is a very useful analytical technique to achieve detailed information about the crystal structure and mineralogical composition, qualitative and quantitative, of matter. It is a technique that exploits the interaction between solid matter and X-rays that, converged on a substance, are diffracted. The outgoing X-rays, on the basis of the wavelength of the incident beam and according to the path within the analyzed sample provide information on fundamental param- eters of the crystalline state as the distance of the lattice planes and the parameters of the elementary cell. The analytical result is called diffraction pattern containing a series of peaks that show the intensity and angular position of the diffracted X-rays. Typically, a diffraction pattern represents, for individual minerals, a kind of distinct fingerprint and can be used to easily identify the material or distinguish it from others, especially with the use of modern databases. X-Ray Diffractometry can be successfully used in a variety of fields: building materials, geological sam- ples, environmental pollutants and increasingly by forensic sciences as a scientific aid for the analysis of evidence from crime scenes.