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Qualitative analysis

The powder pattern of a sample is recorded, the d spacings (or $\theta$angles) and relative intensities of the 10 strongest lines are measured and these are compared with the patterns of known compounds. Many thousand patterns have been recorded and published in the ASTM (JCPDS) Powder Diffraction File and these are available in subdivisions: Minerals, Inorganic, Organic. With experience, it is possible to identify the components in mixtures of up to three compounds.


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