Analysis of the morphology of hectorite by use of small-angle X-ray scattering

An analysis of the three-dimensional correlation function of small-angle scattering is applied for the direct determination of stereological parameters of hectorite samples. Beside characteristic lengths and volume fractions the specific order distances are given. The samples can be described by homogeneous particles of different order magnitudes up to the size of the secondary particles, which were estimated to have maximum dimensions of about 450 nm. Beside traditional stereological formulas, including the interpretation of the derivatives of the small-angle correlation function, the so-called transformed correlation function is applied in order to detect distinctive characteristic lengths.