The proceedings of the 6th European Conference on Powder iffraction cover 191 papers in the areas of X-ray and neutron diffraction (36 papers). Chapters on Method Development, Development of Instruments and Techniques, Software, Synchrotron and Neutron Diffraction offer new ideas on subjects as Microstructure of Materials, Determination of Crystallographic Structure, Quantitative Phase Analysis, and Texture & Coarse Grains. Developments in analysis using the X-ray lens –a bundle of glass capillaries- and single or double X-ray mirrors continue.

The EPDIC-5 Proceedings present the latest papers in this successful series of European Conferences on Powder Diffraction. They demonstrate the evergrowing interest from materials scientists, physicists, chemists, geologists - both industrial and academic- all having a direct interest in the practical application of this powerful and non-destructive method of analysis.

Preferred crystal orientations and their statistical distribution – the polycrystalline 'texture' – are of major scientific interest and are of great importance in a wide range of industrial applications. The aim of this book is to monitor the rapid progress made in this field during the last few years.

Powder diffraction continues to be a highly active field of research where many interesting developments are currently taking place.

This book reflects quite clearly the expansion of the field of "textures" as well as the rapid growth of the texture community. During the recent years, the scope of this field has been expanded to virtually all crystalline and even partly crystalline materials including intermetallic compounds, ceramics, polymers as well as multiphase composites and even fullerenes.

The power of powder diffraction - the diffraction analysis of polycrystalline specimens - is shown again convincingly in these Proceedings of the Second European Powder Diffraction Conference EPDIC 2.

Part 1 . 1. PREMARTENSITIC BEHAVIOUR. 2. TRANSFORMATION THERMODYNAMICS AND MECHANISMS. 3. Transformations in ferrous Alloys. 4. BAINITE TRANSFORMATIONS . 5. NON-FERROUS ALLOYS. 6. MARTENSITIC TRANSFORMATIONS IN CERAMICS. Part 2 . 7. SHAPE MEMORY ALLOYS. 8. COPPER-BASED SME ALLOYS . 9. TITANIUM-NICKEL SME ALLOYS. 10.FERROUS SME ALLOYS. 11. MECHANICAL PROPERTIES AND APPLICATIONS OF SHAPE MEMORY ALLOYS .