Document Type
Thesis
Date of Degree Completion
Summer 2022
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science
Department
Geological Sciences
Committee Chair
Christopher Mattinson
Second Committee Member
Angela Halfpenny
Third Committee Member
Anne Cubilie
Abstract
X-ray diffraction (XRD) is widely applied in a variety of disciplines to identify crystalline solids in a powdered sample. Recent software advances have made quantitative analysis of samples easier and more accessible, but the quality of the result depends on the sample preparation and data collection procedure. This project focuses on testing methods of sample preparation and XRD data collection and analysis to lay the groundwork for refinement of the existing standard operating procedures at CWU. First, I determined the ball mill grinding time necessary to powder different mineral samples. The addition of hand grinding to ball mill-ground samples produced important, systematic differences in grain size. I performed initial XRD measurements and used the data to assess the purity of mineral samples. I compared data collected using two different types of XRD sample holders and found that they produce data of similar quality. Longer measurement durations produce data of better quality than shorter durations.
Recommended Citation
Lucas, Katherine, "Developing and Validating a Standard Operating Procedure for Quantitative Analysis using Central Washington University's X-ray Diffractometer" (2022). Undergraduate Honors Theses. 44.
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/undergrad_hontheses/44