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Preparing Smear Slury/Smear Slide
- Grind the sample to a talc-like powder (<0.062 mm).
- Place a small amount of sample powder in the center of a quartz or single crystal quartz disk. Place a small amount of sample in the center of the quartz disk. Two quartz disks will adequately fill the sample holder. The upper quartz disk will be used for the slurry.
- Add 2–3 drops of acetone, 70 % isopropyl alcohol or distilled water to the sample. Note: Isopropyl dries faster than water.
- Spread the sample to a thin layer using a glass rod. The slurry should be spread evenly across the disk. If there is not enough material to cover the entire disk, concentrate the sample in the middle of the disk where the X-rays will contact the sample. You can also use a piece of tape, stick it to the sample holder and sprinkle the ground sample onto it.
- Place the sample in the desiccator to dry before running in the XRD.
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