Combining XRF and XRD analyses and sample preparation to solve mineralogical problems

Vibrating Sample Holder for Xrd Analysis with Minimal Sample Preparation

A new approach to sample handling for powder X-ray diffraction analysis is presented that allows characterization of poorly prepared samples. The technique relies on vibrations generated in a sample holder to create movement of the powdered sample in the absence of macroscopic movement of the sample holder itself. The major benefits over conventional sample handling strategies are: 1) the abili...

Integrating Excel and Access - combining applications to solve business problems

Combining FMEA with DEMATEL models to solve production process problems

Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) is an analysis tool for identifying and preventing flaws or defects in products during the design and process planning stage, preventing the repeated occurrence of problems, reducing the effects of these problems, enhancing product quality and reliability, saving costs, and improving competitiveness. However, FMEA can only analyze one influence factor ac...

A Novel Sample-handling Approach for Xrd Analysis with Minimal Sample Preparation

Powder diffraction ideally requires a very large number of crystallites in random orientations to be exposed to the X-ray beam. This is obtained in laboratory instruments by grinding the sample to a very fine grain size (< 10 µm) or by using fine-grained polycrystalline solids. When non-ideal powders are being characterized, one must find a means of increasing the number of crystallite orientat...

Simultaneous Xrd/xrf with Low-power X-ray Tubes

A test bench instrument constructed at MOXTEK, Inc. is capable of simultaneously capturing X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) information using a charge-coupled device (CCD) as the X-ray detector. NASA is funding the instrument’s construction because of its low-power consumption and compact size; it could be used for in-situ planetary exploration missions for mineral analysis....