AbstractResults of an experimental X-ray study on 96 synthetic glasses show that the 2θ positions of glass diffraction maxima have an inverse relation to SiO2 concentration in silicate glasses. This relationship is the basis of a new technique for semiquantitative determinations of SiOa in silicate materials by X-ray diffraction methods. Samples to be examined are fused and the resulting glass scanned from 12 to 40° 2θ using CiiKa radiation. The mean 2θ position of the diffraction maximum is a measure of the SiOs content of the glass. Calibration curves for both weight and molecular percent SiO2 vs. 2θ are presented in this report. The technique requires only small, unweighed amounts of sample for analysis ; it is simple, rapid, and utilizes standard diffraction equipment without modification. Its accuracy, at present, allows SiOa determinations to within ±1 to 4% of the actual concentration.
X-Ray Reflectivity Measurements of Surface Roughness Using Energy Dispersive Detection