Neutron diffractometer INES for quantitative phase analysis of archaeological objects

With the Italian Neutron Experimental Station (INES) a new general purpose neutron powder diffractometer is available at ISIS, characterized by a high resolution at low d-spacings, and particularly suited for the quantitative phase analysis of a wide range of archaeological materials. Time-of-flight neutron diffraction is notable for being a non-destructive technique, allowing a reliable determination of the phase compositions of multiphase artefacts, with or without superficial corrosion layers. A selection of archaeometric studies carried out during the first year of the INES user programme is presented here to demonstrate the capabilities of the instrument.