• The sample is ground wet in a mill, in this case a McCrone mill.
  • By choosing an appropriate water to solid ratio for the grinding process, the resulting slurry is of the right consistency to be poured out of the mill into a paint jar, ready for spray drying.
  • At this point a sheet of sample paper is placed beneath the preheated oven.
  • The paint jar is attached to the brush and spraying can begin.
  • The sample is sprayed into the oven through the opening in the top, and can be gently agitated throughout. This ensures that it is well mixed and that settling of coarser particle does not occur.
  • Following spraying, the sample paper is removed from the oven and the sample gathered together towards the centre of the sheet.
  • The sample is collected by pouring it off the paper into a suitable receptacle such as a glass vial.
  • XRD sample holders are loaded simply by pouring an excess of sample into the holder.
  • The holder is tapped vigorously to allow the sample to settle.
  • Excess material is swiped away using the edge of a glass slide or similar and any spillage brushed back into the sample vial.