Syllabus

X-Ray Diffraction Techniques
Experiment 1:
Phase identification of ceramic materials using powder X-ray diffraction
• JCPDS/ICDD database matching
• Identification of crystalline phases in oxide ceramics
Experiment 2:
Determination of crystallite size, lattice strain, and lattice parameters using XRD
• Scherrer analysis
• Williamson-Hall method
• Rietveld analysis

Optical and Electron Microscopy
Experiment 3:
Microstructural examination of sintered ceramic samples using optical microscopy
• Sample preparation (mounting, polishing, etching)
• Grain size measurement (ASTM grain size method)
Experiment 4:
Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis of ceramic and composite materials
• Secondary vs backscattered electron imaging
• Microstructural features: porosity, grain morphology, fracture surfaces
Experiment 5:
Elemental analysis using Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS/EDX)
• Qualitative and semi-quantitative compositional analysis
• Elemental mapping of multi-phase ceramics

Vibrational Spectroscopy
Experiment 6:
FTIR spectroscopy for identification of functional groups and bonding in ceramic powders
• Oxide, hydroxyl, carbonate, and organic residual identification
Experiment 7:
Effect of processing conditions on FTIR spectra of ceramic precursors
• Comparison of calcined vs uncalcined samples

Raman Spectroscopy
Experiment 8:
Phase and structural analysis of ceramic materials using Raman spectroscopy
• Fingerprint region analysis
• Crystalline vs amorphous phases
Experiment 9:
Raman mapping and stress/defect analysis in ceramic materials
• Spatial variation in phase or crystallinity
• Introduction to peak shift and broadening concepts

Experiment 10:
AI-Based Integrated Analysis of XRD, SEM, and Spectroscopic Data
• AI-driven integrated interpretation of structural, microstructural, and spectroscopic data
• Machine learning enabled processing-microstructure-structure- property relationship analysis

Acquire hands-on experience with advanced materials characterization techniques relevant to ceramics and functional materials.

Understand the principles, instrumentation, and limitations of diffraction, microscopy, and spectroscopic techniques.

Analyze and interpret experimental data to extract structural, microstructural, and chemical information.

Correlate characterization results with processing conditions and material properties

Develop technical reporting skills consistent with research and industry practices.

Perform diffraction, microscopy, and spectroscopic experiments following standard laboratory protocols.

Analyze XRD, microscopy, Raman, and FTIR data to identify phases, microstructure, and bonding characteristics.

Correlate structural and microstructural features with material properties in ceramic and materials systems.

Critically document and present experimental results in a professional laboratory report format.

B.D Cullity & S.R Stock, Elements of X-Ray Diffraction, Pearson

J.I. Goldstein, D.E. Newbury, J.R. Michael, N.W.M Ritchie, J.H.J Scott, D.C.Joy, Scanning Electron Microscopy and X-ray Microanalysis, Springer

Smith, B, Infrared Spectral Interpretation: A systematic approach, CRC Press

R.J.H. Clark, D.A Long, Raman Spectroscopy, McGraw-Hill