Acquisition of a Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) System for the Study of Nanostructured Materials
Abstract
A NanoSTAR small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) system (Manufacturer: Bruker AXS, Inc) was acquired in support of research on nanostructured materials. A unique feature of the acquired instrument is its capability for materials characterization on a nanometer length scale. Research programs that uniquely benefit from the acquired equipment involve the processing and synthesis of bulk nanostructured materials by consolidation and direct fabrication methods, as well as nanostructured coatings. In-depth understanding of the relevant fundamental phenomena is necessary, for example, effects of dispersoids on the grain growth in nanostructured materials, in order to fully exploit the potential of nanostructured materials. In the case of crystalline substances, SAXS studies are aimed at determining the scattering intensity near the origin of the reciprocal lattice of the substances. Contrary to the determination of atomic structure by the X-ray diffractometer (XRD), SAXS is used to identify the disturbances in this structure, providing information about the orientation, the form, and the order of magnitude of the defects, the characteristic sizes of dispersoids, precipitates or pores/voids in the crystal, phase formation resulting from aging, annealing and heating, and others. Under this program, the following accomplishments have been achieved: (1) The acquired SAXS system was successfully installed and is now in operational condition; a short training course was provide to graduate students and faculty; (2) method for interpretation of experimental SAXS data was developed using Mathematical Analysis; (3) lattice spacing at a large scale was determined using the SAXS; (4) interface between ceramic and metal was characterized, in particular in interface geometry and defects; (5) crystalline phase size distributed in amorphous matrix was analyzed; and (6) crystallization behavior was investigated in combination with DSC and TEM.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2003
- Accession Number
- ADA416399
Entities
People
- E. J. Lavernia
Organizations
- University of California, Irvine