Quantitative Phase Analysis: Method Developments

During the years several methods have been developed to identify and quantify the phases in our samples. The newly developed methods respond to precise needs like increasing accuracy, lowering detection limits, automatize and speed-up the process or overcome errors and limitations. Most of the last developments are based on the use of large set of data and full pattern analyses like the Rietveld method. The progresses have been stimulated by the need to analyze new and complex materials with the help of advanced hardware to collect quickly and reliably our data. Refinement of old and new methods will be presented for the quantification of phases as well as some examples. Particular cases will be treated for layered materials and thin films, bulk amorphous, textured samples and clay materials. The last frontier appears to be the combination of the diffraction with other techniques to improve the final analysis.