Nanoscale imaging of shale fragments with coherent X-ray diffraction

The dataset corresonds to the article that reports the use of coherent X-ray diffraction imaging (CXDI) to study the internal structure of microscopic shale fragments and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) measurement was performed in tandem to study the minerology of the shale microparticles. It was possible to identify pyrite nanocrystals as inclusions in the quartz-clay matrix and the nanoscale pore structure. The combined CXDI-WAXD analysis enabled establishing a correlation between sample morphology and crystallite shape and size. The results highlight the potential of the combined CXDI-WAXD approach as an upcoming imaging modality for 3D nanoscale studies of shales and other geological formations via serial measurements of microscopic fragments, including cuttings from drillings.