Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dsjbd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-27T05:51:15.066Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Measurement of the modal composition of a granitic rock powder by point-counting, infra-red spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 March 2018

P. M. D. Bradshaw*
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, University of Durham1

Summary

A rapid method for determining the mode of a four-component powder (microcline, orthoclase, plagioclase, and quartz) was sought to aid the interpretation of geochemical results. An accuracy of about ±5 % (absolute) was required. Three methods were tried : point counting proved too long as well as destroying the sample; infra-red spectroscopy was not sufficiently accurate for this particular type of rock powder; X-ray diffraction proved the most rapid and, although less accurate than point counting, was within acceptable limits and had the advantage of giving additional information about the composition of the feldspars.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 1967

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bailey, (E. H.) and Steveis, (R. E.), 1960. Amer. Min., vol. 45, pp. 10201025.Google Scholar
Bradshaw, (P. M. D.), 1965. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Durham.Google Scholar
Diebold, (F. E.), Lemisit, (J.), and Hiltrop, (C. L.), 1963. Journ. Sed. Petr., vol. 33, pp. 124139.Google Scholar
Hafner, (St.) and Laves, (F.), 1957. Zeits. Krist., vol. 109, pp. 204225.Google Scholar
Hunt, (J. M.) and Turner, (D. S.), 1953. Anal. Chem., vol. 25, pp. 11691174.Google Scholar
Klug, (H. P.) and Alexander, (L. K). 1954. X-ray Diffraction Procedures. John Wiley and Sons.Google Scholar
Launer, (P. J.), 1952. Amer. Min., vol. 37, p. 764.784.Google Scholar
Laves, (F.) and Hafner, (St.), 1956. Zeits. Krist., vol. 108, pp. 5263.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Laves, (F.) and Hafner, (St.), 1962. Norsk. Geol. Tidsskr., vol. 42, pp. 5771 [M.A. 16-338].Google Scholar
Liese, (H.), 1964. Amer. Journ. Sci., vol. 262, pp. 223230.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lyon, (R. J. P.), Tuddenham, (W. H.), and Thompson, (C. S.), 1959. Econ. Geol., vol. 54, pp. 10471055.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mackenzie, (W. S.), 1954. Min. Mag., vol. 31, pp. 354366.Google Scholar
Smith, (J. R.) and Yoder, (H. S.), 1956. Amer. Min., vol. 41, pp. 632647 [M.A. 13-482].Google Scholar
Tennant, (C. B.) and Berger, (R. W.), 1957. Ibid., vol. 42, pp. 23-29.Google Scholar