Microcamera

X-ray powder diffraction data may be helpful but are often hard to interpret for complex mixtures use of computer data file search programs (6) and microcamera methods for single particle analysis (7) may be useful for identification. Comparative sample identification is generally less often possible than for metals since the latter are manufactured while the nonmetallic inorganic solids are often unprocessed materials with large property variations. However, where applicable, the following are some examples of determinations which might be made (a) particle size by microscopy (b) microstructure and sub-microstructure characterization... 

The collimators of most cameras, both for Laue and powder photographs, produce beams about 1 mm in diameter. Much smaller beams are used in microcameras for special purposes (Sec. 6-10). 

While it may be possible to adapt an ordinary pinhole camera to some microbeam work simply by changing the collimator, better results will be obtained with a specially designed microcamera [6.3, G.39]. Such a camera will usually have a small specimen-to-focal-spot distance (to increase intensity and improve collimation), a small specimen-to-film distance (to reduce exposure time), and some arrangement for accurately positioning the specimen in the beam. Diffraction patterns of specimens amounting to as little as 10 micrograms have been obtained in such cameras. 

One unique application of this battery involves swallowing a mio-obattery-powered pill with a built-in microcamera to view the digestive tract of a patient. 

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