The rapid phase quantification method using X-ray diffraction (XRD) with a position-sensitive detector (PSD), outlined by Cressey and Schofield (1996), has been extended to facilitate mineral phase quantification of clay-bearing samples. In addition, correction factors for differences in matrix absorption effects have been calculated and applied. The method now enables mudrock mineralogy to be quantified rapidly and efficiently. Using this approach overcomes many of the problems hitherto associated with the quantitative analysis of clay minerals, in particular the effects of preferred orientation of crystallites and variable sample-area irradiation, that make the task of quantification extremely difficult by conventional Bragg-Brentano scanning diffractometry.

A new method to perform X-ray absorption correction for spherical particles in quantitative energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy in the scanning transmission electron microscope is presented. An absorption correction factor is derived and simulated data is presented encompassing a range of X-ray absorption conditions. Theoretical calculations are compared with experimental data of X-ray counts from Au nanoparticles to verify the derived methodology. The effect of detector elevation angle is considered and a comparison with thin-film absorption correction is included.