An attempt was made to determine phase composition of commercial aluminium alloys using X-ray diffraction. Samples for phase composition analysis were selected from the group of aluminium alloys covered by the EN 573-3:2013 standard [1]. Representative samples were taken from eight groups of alloys with different chemical composition (at least one sample from each group). The diffraction intensity was measured with a standard X-ray diffractometer in Bragg-Brentano geometry in a way that allowed identification of the weakest diffraction peaks. As a results of the performed research it has been shown that X-ray phase analysis can be used to identify the matrix of aluminium alloys, Si and crystalline intermetallic phases such as Mg2Si, Al93.38Cu6.02Fe24Si16.27, Al4.01MnSi0.74, MgZn2, Al17(Fe3.2Mn0.8)Si2, Al65Cu20Fe15, and Cu3Mn2Al. The detectability limit of the above-mentioned phases is better than 0.5%. The research has also shown that X-ray phase analysis is applicable in the investigation of phase transformations taking place in aluminium alloys.

The main purpose of this study was to identify the mineral composition of soil sample taken from the upper layer of topsoil. High absorption of chemical substance is a characteristic for humus-organic layer of topsoil. The source of those substance could be a pollutant emitted to the atmosphere by human activity. The research area includes Upper Silesia region, which is the most industrial region of Poland. In the present study, the phase composition of the top soil separates were analyzed by using X-ray diffraction and Mössbauer spectroscopy. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed the presence of seven mineral phases in the material magnetic separated by lower current (quartz, illite, kaolinite, Fe3+ oxides, hematite, magnetite and pyrite). In case of higher current were identified four phases (quartz, muscovite, kaolinite and K0.94 Na0.06(AlSi3O8)). Mössbauer spectroscopy was used for an extensive analysis of iron-containing phases (pyrrhotite, magnetite, aluminosilicate oxides with Fe3+ and kaolinite/Fe2+ silicate).