The Department of Earth Sciences operates a Philips X-ray Diffraction system. These instruments are available for use by members of this and other universities, as well as for commercial applications.
Fill the Job Request Form to proceed. Contact the technician for questions.
Click on the buttons below for information on fees and booking, the booking calendar, and applications. Photos showing the applications of XRD are found in the gallery.
For more information, contact the XRD technician:
Dr. Yanan Liu
Senior Instrument Specialist
Phone: 416-978-5420
Email Dr. Liu
Our lab has a Philips XRD system whose basic components are a PW 1830 HT generator, a PW 1050 goniometer, PW3710 control electronics, and X-Pert system software. Searchable ICDD Powder Diffraction database 2024 and Rietveld Refinement software are also available.
Other information:
Co - Ceramic X-ray tube, line source
Secondary Fe filter
Gas Proportional Detector
Theta – 2 Theta Goniometer Configuration
For more information, visit the International Centre for Diffraction Data.
Powder X-ray Diffraction (XRD) is a rapid and non-destructive structure analysis with little sample preparation needed. A collimated beam of nearly monochromatic X-rays is directed onto the flat surface of a finely ground materials with ideally random orientations (inorganic/organic powders or films). The diffracted X-rays are then re-collimated and collected by a proportional detector to reveal structure related information following Bragg’s Law:
2dsinθ= nλ
The most common application of powder diffraction is in the identification and characterization of crystalline solids, single or multi-phases. Both the peak positions and the relative intensities in a diffraction pattern are indicative of the phase(s) present when compared with database reference patterns. The degree of crystallization / phase transitions can also be determined and quantified relative to the standards.
Averaged crystallite size and structure strain (stress residual, local substitution and dislocation) can also be estimated based on the relative peak broadening analysis.
Advanced crystal structure refinement and determination can be achieved through Rietveld Refinement (GSAS -II / Profex) for single phase materials when crystallinity and sample quantity suitable.
Quantitative XRD, the determination of the relative proportions of each phase within a multi-phase system, is also possible with available standards reference patterns. Considerable amount of time and expertise will be required in this case.
Some application examples generated in our lab can be found in the gallery.
Location: Rm 3102, Dept of Earth Sciences
Contact Lab Personnel to reserve time on the XRD.
Fill the Job Request Form to proceed: contact the technician for questions. You will need Adobe’s Acrobat Reader® to open the job request form. You may download it, at no charge, from Adobe Systems.
View the Booking Calendar
The current fee structure (in $) is found below:
Users | Hourly Rate |
---|---|
Department of Earth Sciences (NSERC) | $16 |
Other University of Toronto members | $26 |
Other universities | $34 |
Commercial | $46 |
Important notes for booking:
- The above rates do not include applicable taxes. An operator is not routinely available, but special circumstances will be considered.
- Cancellations made 24 hours or less before an appointment will be subject to a two-hour flat rate charge.