Published online by Cambridge University Press: 06 March 2019
The following study is an evaluation of several different types of instrumentation available for use in powder x-ray diffraction work. The particular units used are those at the Dow Chemical Company x-ray diffraction lab. The variety of instrumentation allows analyses from routine phase identification to more specialized work such as low-angle x-ray diffraction of polymers and high-resolution analysis for cell parameter refinements.
The purpose of this work is to compare the relative capabilities of these different instruments under typical day-to-day operating conditions. While not a comprehensive study, the conclusions drawn should be applicable to powder x-ray diffraction in general.