A low-cost universal stage with an angular resolution of 1.8° is described below that can be mounted onto an ordinary powder X-ray diffractometer. The attachment is used to characterize the micro structure (orientation of mineral grains). Microstructures of polycrystalline materials of diverse origin (eggshell, tufa and mollusk shell) were characterized by registering the intensity of diagnostic lattice reflections for a particular mineral in three dimensional space using a polar coordinate plot (hemispherical projection). Pole figure distributions were used to decipher the potential growth mechanisms that produced the microstructures observed in these mineral aggregates.

You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.