ABSTRACT
X-ray diffraction (XRD) has been applied to the solution of numerous problems in the mining industry, from the exploration of new deposits, to the characterization of minerals and their derived products during processing, to environmental and health effects arising from the exploitation of minerals. The main applications have been in the identification and quantification of phases, as well as in the characterization of mineral and materials phases that could materially affect the thermodynamic and kinetic properties of these materials. The proper characterization of the relevant phases by XRD is essential in understanding metallurgical processes, and in many cases the XRD analysis is an integral part of the description of processes for the patent literature.
