By Ebatco
A crystal’s diffraction pattern is a unique signature that can be used to identify unknown materials. Polycrystalline materials or powders are made up of small crystallites in many orientations, making an XRD measurement especially straightforward. The diffraction pattern of an unknown material can be compared to a database of patterns from known standards – when a match is found, unknown phase can be identified. The SmartLab’s phase identification capabilities are best suited for polycrystalline materials and powders, which encompass a surprising number of materials such as aluminum foil, concrete, and fridge magnets.
