XRD is a nondestructive analytical technique used to identify (and quantify) minerals in samples. Atoms in crystalline material form a lattice. When a monochromatic X-ray beam interacts with this lattice, constructive interference takes place and part of the beam is diffracted. Bragg’s Law relates the wavelength of radiation to the spacing between planes of atoms and the angle of diffraction. Using the software, we compare the diffraction pattern to standard reference and/or calculated patterns to identify minerals. Amorphous materials do not produce a diffraction pattern. We measure random powder mounts and oriented clay mounts. Sample preparation is more important than the settings of the X-ray diffractometer in determining the quality of the results. If you want to do analysis on our XRD, please be sure to contact the technical experts before grinding your samples. Depending on your research goal, we can advise you whether and how your samples should be milled.