International Centre for Diffraction Data

The International Centre for Diffraction Data (ICDD) maintains a database of powder diffraction patterns, the Powder Diffraction File (PDF), including the d-spacings (related to angle of diffraction) and relative intensities of observable diffraction peaks. Patterns may be experimentally determined, or computed based on crystal structure and Bragg's law. It is most often used to identify substances based on x-ray diffraction data, and is designed for use with a diffractometer. The database is exhaustive, over 500,000 entries as of 2006; computer algorithms allow rapid peak matching. The organization was founded in 1941 as the Joint Committee on Powder Diffraction Standards (JCPDS). In 1978, the name of the organization was changed to the current name to highlight the global commitment of this scientific endeavor.