X-Ray Diffraction (XRD)

Delta Analytical Instruments, Inc.
1061 Main Street
North Huntingdon, PA 15642
USA

Tel : (724) 864-9850
Fax : (724) 864-9851

A characteristic of crystalline materials is their ability to diffract x-rays.
As a beam of x-rays passes through a randomly oriented microcrystalline structure, a pattern of rings, or diffraction pattern results. The resultant diffractogram is useful in confirming the identity of a solid material such as a pharmaceutical powder.

The sample is prepared for analysis by packing a small amount of sample into a shallow cup. Sometimes the sample can be introduced as a slurry and placed on a quartz slide. The sample is subjected to x-rays while the sample rotates during the analysis to reduce any heating to the sample.
The resultant diffractograms can yield specific identity of constituent components, both quantitative and qualitative. Sample spectra are matched to JCPDS standard data when available.

RESULTS:

A difractogram illustrating the wavelength with peak values and identifying crystal phases is accompanied by a listing of tabular data. Polymorphous anomalies are easily identifiable.