Full-pattern parametrization of two-dimensional wide-angle diffraction data from oriented polymers

Two-dimensional wide-angle X-ray scattering data from oriented polymers are profile fitted by describing the intensity distribution as a product of two orthogonal functions in polar cylindrical coordinates. The parameters of the fit are used to describe the structure in terms of amorphous and crystalline orientation, crystallinity and crystallite size. The possibility of using the data to refine the unit cell parameters and the atomic coordinates is discussed. The analysis is illustrated with data from a nylon 6 fibre, and the results are compared with those from a previous analysis of a series of one-dimensional scans. The method is compared to alternative modelling approaches such as Rietveld refinement.