CRC Team – Center for Ceramic Materials Services

The chemical composition of a material or mineral is only part of the story. The way atoms organize themselves into crystalline, vitreous, and amorphous phases is what truly defines properties such as strength, reactivity, color, and stability.

One of the most advanced tools we use at CRC – Center for Ceramic Materials Services is X-ray Diffraction (XRD).

This analysis goes beyond simply identifying minerals. It allows us to quantify the proportion between crystalline phases (and in some cases non-crystalline phases as well) in your sample. This information can be crucial for quality control and innovation.

For the ceramic sector, quantitative phase analysis via Rietveld Refinement and the RIR (Reference Intensity Ratio) method is fundamental for:

 Raw Material Control: Quantifying minerals such as quartz, feldspars, clay minerals, phyllites, carbonates, talc, and contaminants in raw materials, ensuring process consistency from the beginning, as well as generating balanced body formulations.

 Firing Process Analysis and Final Product Quality: Monitoring phase transformations during sintering, allowing fine-tuning of thermal cycles to obtain the desired properties in both ceramic bodies and glazes.

 Defect Diagnosis: Identifying undesirable crystalline phases that may be the cause of manufacturing defects, such as efflorescence or problems associated with glazes.

CRC’s expertise with XRD is directly applicable to a wide range of industrial sectors:

 Cement and Construction: analysis of clinker phases (alite, belite), gypsum, and amorphous phases (such as slag), which determine the setting time and strength of cement.

 Mining and Geology: Quantitative mineralogical analysis of rocks and ores for deposit evaluation, quality control of concentrates, and optimization of beneficiation processes.

 Pharmaceuticals: Identification and quantification of polymorphs (different crystalline forms of the same drug), a critical factor affecting the solubility, bioavailability, and stability of medications.

 Pigments and Inks: Characterization of the crystalline phases that define the color, opacity, and stability of inorganic pigments.

 Metallurgy and Advanced Materials: Quantification of phases in metallic alloys, analysis of corrosion products, and characterization of functional coatings.

At CRC, our specialized technical team not only performs the analyses but also interprets the results in context, recommending the most appropriate tests to diagnose problems and guide the development of new products.

Ready to unlock the structure of your material and transform it into a competitive advantage?

Explore our complete portfolio of analyses at www.crceram.com.br/analises/ or speak directly with our specialists.

Our contact channels:

 Email: crc@crceram.com.br

 Phone: +55 016 3306-9983

 WhatsApp: +55 016 99761-7660 / +55 016 99715-3559