To identify mineral their diffraction diagram (theta values, d-spacing values and peak height values) is useful to access information from ICDD.

First of all, you have to identify the mineral phases in your samples. Soil samples are probably composed of clay minerals (e.g., illite, smectite, chlorite and kaolinite), quartz, and/or feldspar and calcite. The specific 2 theta value (or d-spacing) of these minerals mentioned above could be obtained from ICDD or Rietveld or something similar. After determining the mineral species, you might consider that the peak heights of the particular mineral are resulted from crystallinity, relative weight percentage, or something else.

Peak heights vary based on % comp and which peaks you are looking at...a ( 5 2 2) peak isn't going to be as big as a (111) peak. So compare the biggest 3 peaks to a RIR. Use an internal standard if you are looking to quantify for mineral id.

Thank you very much for all your response.

Ramesh,

if you want to identify the minerals in your samples, you can start from here: http://www.webmineral.com/MySQL/xray.php, or if you are not familiar with XRD and phase identification, you may check the individual cards from http://rruff.geo.arizona.edu/AMS/amcsd.php for minerals commonly listed in research papers (compare the d-values of the cards to your results than check intensities). Otherwise, if you don't need precise identification and quantification, note that peak at:

~14A may be montmorillonite, chlorite or vermiculite (001)

~12A may be beidellite or randomly interstratified illite/smectite (001)

~11A randomly interstratified illite/smectite

~10A illite or micas (001) or (002)

~ 7.2A kaolinite type minerals (001) or chlorite (002)

~ 5A illite or micas (002) or (004)

~ 4.7A chlorite (003)

~ 4.5A (110) or other peak for clay minerals; if you have this peak but you do not observe other (001) or (002) peaks, check for clay mineral crystallite size by oriented specimen clay mineral diagnosis

~ 4.425A quartz, if it has a high angle shoulder check for microcline

~ 3.343A quartz, may be overlapping with muscovite (003) or (006)

~ 3.319A albite

~ 3.003A calcite

~ 2.880A dolomite

Good luck!

Thank you very much Kristaly.

I gone through the website you have suggested. But its showing many minerals for a single 2-theta or d-spacing values.

Please find the attachment contains one of my dataset.

Kindly suggest me how to do interpretation of peaks?

Thank you

Ramesh,

the XRD pattern is not suitable for phase ID. You have to grind (powder) your material until you don't feel the grains by touching between your fingers and use counting (measurment) time much longer, like 3 or 4 seconds. And start the pattern from 2 degrees 2theta!

Good luck

Dear All

What is the effect of Counts per second or the INTENSITY that is shown on the y axis...

Thanks

Saad

Ferenc Kristály what does the ~14 A mean in this case is it the 2theta angles?

which mineral is present at 2.85A?

Have a look on it.

http://www.msal.net/jiuban/ZILIAO/mineral_X_ray_spacing.htm

It shows lot of minerals for a particular d spacing value, how to be specific that a particular mineral to be present. And d spacing is different for I/Io ratio, but some websites pose it to be similar... Its confusing...

In case of mixtures of XRPD of crystalline materials information obtained from ICDD is very useful.

You can also use software like High Score Plus, traces etc for the same. 

there is a question...is there any specific theta angle and scan rate required for geotechnical studies??

  I AGREE WITH Ferenc Kristál

hi

you can find the converting 2theta to d spacing as following