X-ray powder diffractometer with Ag-radiation

• Subject Area: Materials Engineering
• Term: Funded in 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 550103377

The new powder diffractometer will give us completely new possibilities for in situ measurements and for investigations of highly absorbing samples. The new device will be operated with a short wavelength (Ag-radiation) and therefore preferably be used for the analysis of strongly absorbing samples, i.e. compounds with heavy elements from the 6th period of the PSE. In particular, the device is intended to be used for measurements with in situ setups due to the reduced absorption of hard radiation and high penetration depth. This includes a specially developed electrochemical in situ cell, as well as a high-temperature unit for measurements up to 1600 °C in capillary geometry. The use of short wavelength X-rays is advantageous for such in situ set-ups for two reasons. Firstly, the lower absorption pays off when windows are necessary. Secondly, the short wavelength in combination with a detector for a large 2θ-range allows recording a complete pattern without detector movement (so-called “snapshots”), which is of the highest priority in time-dependent in situ experiments. As a perspective, in the near future the device should also enable the measurement of total diffraction in order to carry out pair distribution function (PDF) analyses. There is currently no device with similar possibilities available at the University of Stuttgart. With its technical focus and configuration, the device ideally complements the existing equipment for powder diffraction, enables the measurement of samples that were previously difficult to analyze and the use of complex measurement setups, especially in situ experiments. Furthermore, the device enables the analysis of phase transformations in a wide temperature range, especially of air and moisture-sensitive samples. Accordingly, the new device brings our analytical possibilities to a timely, modern and future-oriented level.

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: Pulverröntgendiffraktometer mit Ag-Röhre
• Instrumentation Group: 4011 Pulverdiffraktometer
• Applicant Institution: Universität Stuttgart
• Leader: Professor Dr. Rainer Niewa