The development of synchrotron X-ray diffraction at Daresbury Laboratory and its legacy for materials imaging

This paper covers the instrument development, some selected science highlights and the legacy of the X-ray diffraction facilities on the synchrotron radiation source (SRS) at Daresbury Laboratory from 1985 until its closure in the autumn of 2008. The evolution of the data collection instrumentation; detector development and research in synchrotron powder diffraction is discussed. The legacy of the research that started at Daresbury and subsequently spread worldwide is also covered with a focus on X-ray colour diffraction imaging.