9452316 Miller A powder X-ray diffractometer will be used in teaching and research in the departments of Chemistry, Environmental Studies (Environmental Geology and others), and Physics. Powder X-ray diffractometry is one of the most widely used methods for crystal structure analysis and mineral/rock/material identification. UNCA long ago had a diffractometer, which became obsolete when it could not meet tightening safety standards and the repair costs exceeded its value, so currently we have no facilities here or in the community with which to teach students X-ray methods or to analyze mineral/rock/material samples. The acquisition of an X-ray diffractometer will allow the faculty authors, all of whom who have had prior experience with X-ray diffraction, to include experiments and techniques based on X-ray methods and theory in solid state chemistry, geology, physics, and soils classes. Topics that would be covered in classes and used in student and/or faculty research include crystal structure analysis and X-ray techniques in combination with Mossbauer, NMR, and other analytical methods; mineral/material identification and determination of relative amounts in rocks, heavy mineral sediments, and materials (such as synthesized inoraganic compounds and municipal incineration ash); chemical analysis of specific mineral species by peak shifts in diffraction patterns; and characterization of clay minerals, soils, and soil components.
