Spray Drying Kit for X-ray Powder Diffraction

The Method

Spray drying is a method capable of producing truly random powder samples for x-ray powder diffraction (XRPD). However, the application of spray drying as a method of sample preparation for XRPD has not been widely adopted. This may be largely due to problems with insufficient recovery when trying to spray dry small samples (approximately 1g). Equipment has been developed at MLURI which overcomes this difficulty and allows spray drying to be used as a routine method of sample preparation for minerals, rocks, soil, sediments or similar materials. Essentially, samples are prepared as an aqueous slurry and sprayed into a heated chamber. In the chamber the spherical spray droplets dry forming spherical granules which are collected on a sheet of sample paper.

The oven is heated to the desired temperature.	The sample is sprayed into the oven.
The spray dried sample is deposited on a sheet of paper.	The sample is collected from the paper.

For further information please contact Steve Hillier.