Patent ID: 6072853
Filing Date: 2000-06-06
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
A method of determining characteristics of a test crystalline material in which method a sample of the material is illuminated with a collimated beam of polychromatic X-ray photons, to produce diffracted X-rays, measurements are taken of the produced diffracted X-rays with an energy-dispersive detector receiving them via a collimator, and by comparing the found measurements with similar data defining known, reference materials, there are determined the required characteristics of the test material, which method is characterized in thatthe test crystalline material is a drill core rock sample of a cylindrical shape having a core axis;the beam of X-ray photons has a brightness of at least 10.sup.15 photons/sec/mrad.sup.2 /0.1% bandwidth and energies of at least 20 keV;and further characterized in that the relative position of the sample and the beam is moved in the direction of the core axis so as to determine characteristics of a plurality of portions along the core axis of the rock sample.