QUANTITATIVE X-RAY DIFFRACTION ANALYSIS ON CLAYS AND PARTIALLY AMORPHOUS MATERIALS

X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) combined with quantitative Rietveld analysis is an essential tool for the determination of relative phase amounts in crystalline materials, including both powdered solids and slurries.

In the minerals and mining industries, quantitative phase analysis by XRPD allows characterization and optimization of the process from exploration, processing, through to waste stockpiling.

Currently, XRPD finds exponentially growing interest in important application areas such as in leaching and flotation processes (optimization of acid consumption, pH control, etc.) and in environmental mineralogy (prediction and control of acid rock drainage, verification and quantification of carbon dioxide sequestration, etc.).

The psoter will illustrate the use and approach of a fundamental parameter (FP) based Rietveld analysis using different mineralogical matrices: In the past quantification of minerals with not well known and defined crystal structures was impossible. Scarlett (2006) describes a new approach for the quantification of phases with partial or no known crystal structure referred to as PONKCS. This approach translated into the TOPAS® is applied to clays and clay containing mineral assemblies encountered during an exploration project.