Unknown contaminants such as powders, particles and residues can cause issues in various manufacturing processes. In order to determine the composition of unknown materials, it is often useful to employ several analytical techniques. 

This paper describes identification of two unknown powders using Raman spectroscopy, combined with two X-ray techniques: X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Whereas Raman uses vibrational spectroscopy to determine the bonding environments in organic and inorganic compounds, XRF provides elemental composition. XRD can be utilized to determine phase identification and quantification of crystalline materials based on their unique crystal structure.