Skip to content

Oriented mount

Definition

A clay sample preparation in which fine clay particles are settled onto a glass slide so that their flat basal planes align parallel to the surface. This concentrates the basal reflections of clay minerals and enhances the diagnostic 001 peaks used for clay identification.

Related terms

Basal reflection
The diffraction peak arising from the repeat distance along the stacking direction of clay layer silicates (the c-axis or 001 reflection). Its...
Bragg's law
nλ = 2d sin(θ). A monochromatic X-ray beam diffracted off the parallel lattice planes of a crystal produces constructive interference only at...
d-spacing
The perpendicular distance between adjacent parallel planes of atoms in a crystal lattice, measured in angstroms or nanometres. Each set of planes...
Mixed-layer clay
A clay mineral in which two different layer types (for example smectite and illite layers) are interstratified in a regular or random...
Rietveld refinement
A full-pattern fitting method for XRD quantification that models the entire diffractogram using crystal structure data for each phase, adjusting phase abundances...

Explained in

  • X-ray Diffraction and Clay MineralogyA clay sample preparation in which fine clay particles are settled onto a glass slide so that their flat basal planes align parallel to the surface. This conce...

Your journey to becoming a forensic professional starts here.

Practice with mock tests, learn from structured notes, and get your questions answered by a global forensic community, all in one place.