Hermetic sample housing for X-ray diffraction studies

A portable sample housing has been constructed for room-temperature powder geometry X-ray diffraction analysis of samples that are air or moisture sensitive. The housing can be easily handled in a glovebox, providing a means for direct loading and X-ray measurements on samples that should not be exposed to air or moisture after preparation. Its design allows adaptation to various makes of diffractometer that are limited to flat sample geometry. The design offers several improvements over existing technology, including the accommodation of large-area thin films and single crystals. Sample preparation and alignment in the X-ray beam have been found to be easy and efficient. The two-layer X-ray window of the device reduces the diffracted intensity by 40%, without any change in the relative intensities of the peaks in the spectrum.