The identification and quantification of amorphous components and nanocrystalline phases
with very small crystal sizes, smaller than ~3 nm, within samples containing crystalline phases is
very challenging. However, this is important as there are several types of systems that contain these
matrices: building materials, glass-ceramics, some alloys, etc. The total scattering synchrotron pair
distribution function (PDF) can be used to characterize the local atomic order of the nanocrystalline
components and to carry out quantitative analyses in complex mixtures. Although the resolution in
momentum transfer space has been widely discussed, the resolution in the interatomic distance space
has not been discussed to the best of our knowledge. Here, we report synchrotron PDF data collected at
three beamlines in different experimental configurations and X-ray detectors. We not only discuss the
effect of the resolution in Q-space, Qmax ins of the recorded data and Qmax of the processed data, but we
also discuss the resolution in the interatomic distance (real) space. A thorough study of single-phase
crystalline nickel used as standard was carried out. Then, selected cement-related samples including
anhydrous tricalcium and dicalcium silicates, and pastes derived from the hydration of tricalcium
silicate and ye’elimite with bassanite were analyzed.
