Welcome

We want to thank everyone who visited Rigaku at analytica^® 2016 in Munich, where a variety of products were shown. Over 35,000 visitors and 1,244 exhibitors made for an important international event. Displayed Rigaku products were based on various X-ray technologies and also included handheld LIBS and Raman products.

Rigaku Booth at analytica 2016

Please come and see us at the following materials science events in June: Canadian Chemistry Conference (Halifax), PPXRD-14 (Fort Myers, FL) and European Conference on X-Ray Spectrometry (Gothenburg). We promise to have new and interesting things to discuss.

Our featured technical paper covers the "Determination of Crystalline Phase and Amorphous Phase in Refractory Material by X-ray Diffraction Analysis Using the Rietveld Refinement."

The first serious science fiction movie, based on Shakespeare's The Tempest, is the video topic this month. Applications notes include XRD, WDXRF, EDXRF and RAMAN technologies. Check out the book reviews, news and papers sections at the bottom of the page for the latest developments in materials science. Enjoy the newsletter.

R.C. Tisdale, Ph.D. – Editor

Lab in the Spotlight An introduction to the latest article by Dr. Atsushi Obuchi Quantitative analyses of components in refractories were carried out using the Rietveld refinement of X-ray diffraction patterns. Samples were sorted with a little powdering and rotated when they were analyzed by Co tube. For more >

Featured XRF Rigaku Journal Article Sample preparation for X-ray fluorescence analysis I. Outline of sample preparation Rigaku Corporation XRF (X-ray fluorescence) analysis as a technique is widely used in academia, research and development and industry as an analysis tool for the determination of elemental composition of materials. Unlike chemical and other instrumental techniques which require the use of hazardous chemicals and difficult preparation methods to dissolve samples for anlysis purposes, the quick, accurate, sensitive non-destructive analysis technique of XRF makes it attractive as an analytical technique, this coupled with the fact that it can be used by non-technical users and does not require expert knowledge and high skill levels to produce good, reliable, reproducible analytical data. XRF is considered to be less labor intensive and more environmentally friendly that the aforementioned methods. For more >

XRD Application Note MiniFlex300/600: Measurement of trace components using D/teX Ultra Rigaku Corporation Powder X-ray diffractometers are used in many fields of industry and research, for substances ranging from inorganic materials such as ceramics and minerals, to pharmaceuticals and other organic materials. The MiniFlex Series is a line of benchtop instruments – with 1/20 the volume, and 1/10 the weight, of stand-alone powder X-ray diffractometers – that can operate with power from an AC 100 V outlet. The current models in the MiniFlex Series include a high-power model type with a maximum rated output of 600 W (MiniFlex600), and a reduced-utility model, which requires no water facilities and only generates 300 W of output power (MiniFlex300). For more >

XRD Application Note Characterization of a Next-Generation Magnetic Recording Media (FePt) by In-Plane X-ray Diffraction Rigaku Corporation As next-generation ultra-density magnetic recording media, granular thin films in which metal microparticles are dispersed have been a focus of attention. Among these films, the regular phase (tetragonal crystal) of FePt has a particularly high magnetic anisotropy as well as good corrosion and oxidation resistances, so it is expected that it will be applied to actual devices. However, the irregular phase (cubic crystal) is created at the same time, depending on the film-forming conditions. For this reason, a technique to distinguish these crystalline phases at the nanoparticle and thin film level is required. For more >

WDXRF Application Note Cement Analysis by the Fusion Method on Benchtop WDXRF Supermini200 According to ASTM C114-11 Rigaku Corporation Cement is one of the most important materials for construction. Many kinds of hydraulic cements, including Portland cement, with various physical properties are produced by changing the composition of clinker minerals; therefore, it is important to control the chemical composition of cement products and interim products. For more >

EDXRF Application Note Gold Recovery Applied Rigaku Technologies The measurement of gold is demonstrated in used ore material such as from ore dumps and tailing piles. This application note also shows the recovery of uranium from the used ore material. For more >

Featured Raman Rigaku Journal Article Advantage of handheld Raman spectrometer with 1064 nm excitation in pharmaceutical raw material identification Rigaku Corporation Quality control is a top priority for the pharmaceutical industry. RMID (raw material identification) is an important part of quality control. Since health authorities of many countries including Japan joined PIC/S recently, quick and reliable RMID is becoming more important. For more >

Featured Software Rigaku Journal Article Automated dislocation evaluation software for X-ray topography images Rigaku Corporation X-ray topography is a powerful technique for evaluating crystal defects such as dislocations, stacking faults, scratches, and so on. High-performance electronics devices such as microprocessors, solidstate memories, imaging processors are fabricated on dislocation-free Si single crystal wafers. However, device fabrication processes often induce dislocations in the Si wafers that can affect the device's performance. Because X-ray topography can evaluate these crystal defects efficiently, it plays and important role in the Si industry. For more >

Scientific Book Review Lab Girl by Hope Jahren Jahren has an impressive resume. A geobiologist, she got her undergraduate degree at University of Minnesota and her PhD at the University of California at Berkeley. She has effectively built three laboratories from scratch, at three different universities: Georgia Tech, Johns Hopkins, and the University of Hawai'i at Manoa. Jahren really is, as the title of her book suggests, a "lab girl." For more >

Material Analysis in the News News for May 2016 May 2, 2016. Northwestern University's Mark Hersam discovered a way to stabilize exfoliated black phosphorus – or phosphorene – a layered semiconductor that chemically degrades in open air but shows great promise for electronics. Passivation was achieved by using organic chemistry to covalently react a single-molecule-thick layer onto phosphorene. May 3, 2016. Researchers at KU Leuven have shed light on how adding limonene could improve the texture in lower-fat versions of chocolate and the ability to melt. The researchers examined cocoa butter crystallisation at 63°F and 68°F using differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction to examine cocoa butter profiles when limonene was added. May 5, 2016. Using a layer of molybdenum disulfide less than 1 nanometer thick, researchers at Rice University have designed a system that can absorb more than 35 percent of incident light in the 400- to 700-nanometer wavelength range. May 5, 2016. Researchers at the University of Valencia have shown that the superconducting state can be maintained even when the material in question is reduced from three to two dimensions, making the efficiency gains needed for technologies like those underlying the frictionless train possible. May 10, 2016. A team of scientists from Los Alamos National Laboratory has released a study that claims a new strategy could be extremely useful in developing new materials. Scientists have employed machine learning to cut down the trial-and-error period of testing out new materials that can be used for a wide range of applications. May 10, 2016. An international team of scientists has used synchronized infrared and X-ray laser pulses to simultaneously manipulate and reveal the ultra-fast magnetic properties of this promising quantum landscape. The rapid, light-driven switching between magnetic states, explored here with unprecedented precision, could one day revolutionize the reading and writing of data in computers and other digital devices. May 11, 2016. What does climate change look like? A spiraling animation from British climate scientist Ed Hawkins, which illustrates the data since 1850, captures a century and a half of change in just seconds. May 11, 2016. Scientists have combined two different analytical methods at the BESSY II synchrotron source in order to extract more information about the chemistry of transition-metal compounds in solution. These kinds of compounds can act as catalysts to promote desirable reactions in energy materials, but their behavior has not been completely understood thus far. May 16, 2016. Physicists have just discovered a new form of light. Until now, it was thought that for all forms of light, the angular momentum would be a integer multiple of Planck's constant – a physical constant that sets the scale of quantum effects. But researchers led by Trinity College Dublin have now demonstrated that a new form of light exists, where the angular momentum is only half of this value. May 17, 2016. Decommissioning the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant just got one step closer. Japanese researchers have mapped the distribution of boron compounds in a model control rod, paving the way for determining re-criticality risk within the reactor.

Recent Scientific Papers of Interest Papers for May 2016 Recent Scientific Papers of Interest is a monthly compilation of material analysis papers appearing in recently released journals and publications. See below

Combined X-ray diffraction and fluorescence analysis in the cultural heritage field. Lutterotti, Luca; Dell'Amore, Federica; Angelucci, Diego E.; Carrer, Francesco; Gialanella, Stefano. Microchemical Journal. May2016, Vol. 126, p423-430. 8p. DOI: 10.1016/j.microc.2015.12.031.

Formulation of dynamical theory of X-ray diffraction for perfect crystals in the Laue case using the Riemann surface. Saka, Takashi. Acta Crystallographica. Section A, Foundations & Advances. May2016, Vol. 72 Issue 3, p338-348. 10p. DOI: 10.1107/S2053273316001005.

Combination of projection-based XRF, XAFS and XRD imagings for rapid spatial distribution analysis of a heterogeneous material. Eba, Hiromi; Ooyama, Hitoshi; Sakurai, Kenji. JAAS (Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry). May2016, Vol. 31 Issue 5, p1105-1111. 7p. DOI: 10.1039/c6ja00024j.

Elemental Analysis of Different Varieties of Rice Samples using XRF Technique. Kaur, Jaspreet; Kumar, Anil. AIP Conference Proceedings. 2016, Vol. 1728 Issue 1, p020350-1-020350-4. 4p. DOI: 10.1063/1.4946401.

Direct investigations on strain-induced cold crystallization behavior and structure evolutions in amorphous poly(lactic acid) with SAXS and WAXS measurements. Zhou, Chengbo; Li, Hongfei; Zhang, Wenyang; Li, Jingqing; Huang, Shaoyong; Meng, Yanfeng; Christiansen, Jesper deClaville; Yu, Donghong; Wu, Zhonghua; Jiang, Shichun. Polymer. May2016, Vol. 90, p111-121. 11p. DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2016.03.014.

Dehydration of AlPO₄-34 studied by variable-temperature NMR, XRD and first-principles calculations. Varlec, Jure; Krajnc, Andraž; Mazaj, Matjaž; Ristić, Alenka; Vanatalu, Kalju; Oss, Andres; Samoson, Ago; Kaučič, Venčeslav; Mali, Gregor. New Journal of Chemistry. May2016, Vol. 40 Issue 5, p4178-4186. 9p. DOI: 10.1039/c5nj02838h.

Evolution of extended defects in polycrystalline UO₂ under heavy ion irradiation: combined TEM, XRD and Raman study. Onofri, C.; Sabathier, C.; Palancher, H.; Carlot, G.; Miro, S.; Serruys, Y.; Desgranges, L.; Legros, M. Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research Section B. May2016, Vol. 374, p51-57. 7p. DOI: 10.1016/j.nimb.2015.08.091.

Measurement of L-XRF cross-sections and Coster–Kronig enhancement factors for ⁶²Sm at excitation energies 6.8, 7.4 and 8 KeV. Kumar, R.; Rani, A.; Singh, R.M.; Tiwari, M.K.; Singh, A.K. Journal of Electron Spectroscopy & Related Phenomena. May2016, Vol. 209, p34-39. 6p. DOI: 10.1016/j.elspec.2016.03.008.

Combining XRF and GRT for the analysis of ancient silver coins. Ager, F.J.; Gómez-Tubío, B.; Paúl, A.; Gómez-Morón, A.; Scrivano, S.; Ortega-Feliu, I.; Respaldiza, M.A. Microchemical Journal. May2016, Vol. 126, p149-154. 6p. DOI: 10.1016/j.microc.2015.12.017.

Interaction of selenite with reduced Fe and/or S species: An XRD and XAS study. Finck, Nicolas; Dardenne, Kathy. Journal of Contaminant Hydrology. May2016, Vol. 188, p44-51. 8p. DOI: 10.1016/j.jconhyd.2016.03.001.

Extended and local structural description of a kaolinitic clay, its fired ceramics and intermediates: An XRD and XANES analysis. Andrini, L.; Gauna, M.R.; Conconi, M.S.; Suarez, G.; Requejo, F.G.; Aglietti, E.F.; Rendtorff, N.M. Applied Clay Science. May2016, Vol. 124, p39-45. 7p. DOI: 10.1016/j.clay.2016.01.049.

Structural changes in SAPO-34 due to hydrothermal treatment. A NMR, XRD, and DRIFTS study. Arstad, Bjørnar; Lind, Anna; Cavka, Jasmina H.; Thorshaug, Knut; Akporiaye, Duncan; Wragg, David; Fjellvåg, Helmer; Grønvold, Arne; Fuglerud, Terje. Microporous & Mesoporous Materials. May2016, Vol. 225, p421-431. 11p. DOI: 10.1016/j.micromeso.2016.01.024.

Investigate of Atmospheric Arsenic, Cadmium, Chromium, Lead, and Mercury Levels in Moss Species Found around Zilkale, by EDXRF Spectrometry. Akçay, Nilay; Batan, Nevzat; Çinar, Yunus. AIP Conference Proceedings. 2016, Vol. 1726 Issue 1, p1-5. 5p. 1 Chart, 1 Map. DOI: 10.1063/1.4945950.

Evaluation of EDXRF configurations to improve the limit of detection and exposure for in vivo quantification of gadolinium in tumor tissue. Santibáñez, M.; Vásquez, M.; Figueroa, R.G.; Valente, M. Radiation Physics & Chemistry. May2016, Vol. 122, p28-34. 7p. DOI: 10.1016/j.radphyschem.2016.01.015.

Determination of selenium in biological samples with an energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer. Li, Xiaoli; Yu, Zhaoshui. Applied Radiation & Isotopes. May2016, Vol. 111, p45-49. 5p. DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2016.02.010.

Functionalized metal-organic-framework CMPO@MIL-101(Cr) as a stable and selective rare earth adsorbent. Decker, Jeroen; Clercq, Jeriffa; Vermeir, Pieter; Voort, Pascal. Journal of Materials Science. May2016, Vol. 51 Issue 10, p5019-5026. 8p. 1 Color Photograph, 2 Diagrams, 2 Charts, 5 Graphs. DOI: 10.1007/s10853-016-9807-9.

Suitability of Transportable EDXRF for the On-site Assessment of Ancient Silver Coins and Other Silver Artifacts. Gore, Damian B.; Davis, Gillan. Applied Spectroscopy. May2016, Vol. 70 Issue 5, p840-851. 12p. DOI: 10.1177/0003702816638283.

Innovative combination of spectroscopic techniques to reveal nanoparticle fate in a crop plant. Larue, Camille; Castillo-Michel, Hiram; Stein, Ricardo J.; Fayard, Barbara; Pouyet, Emeline; Villanova, Julie; Magnin, Valérie; Pradas del Real, Ana-Elena; Trcera, Nicolas; Legros, Samuel; Sorieul, Stéphanie; Sarret, Géraldine. Spectrochimica Acta Part B. May2016, Vol. 119, p17-24. 8p. DOI: 10.1016/j.sab.2016.03.005.

Direct reduction of synthetic rutile using the FFC process to produce low-cost novel titanium alloys. Benson, L.; Mellor, I.; Jackson, M. Journal of Materials Science. May2016, Vol. 51 Issue 9, p4250-4261. 12p. DOI: 10.1007/s10853-015-9718-1.

Experimental observation and numerical simulation of spectra of solid-anode X-ray tubes. Volkov, P.; Korobeinikov, S.; Nikolaev, V.; Sovkov, V. Journal of Analytical Chemistry. May2016, Vol. 71 Issue 5, p471-475. 5p. DOI: 10.1134/S1061934816030151.

X-ray diffraction of crystallization of copper (II) chloride for improved energy utilization in hydrogen production. Jianu, O.A.; Lescisin, M.; Wang, Z.; Rosen, M.A.; Naterer, G.F. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. May2016, Vol. 41 Issue 19, p7848-7853. 6p. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2015.12.213.

Effects of calcium and ferric ions on struvite precipitation: A new assessment based on quantitative X-ray diffraction analysis. Yan, Hanlu; Shih, Kaimin. Water Research. May2016, Vol. 95, p310-318. 9p. DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2016.03.032.

Conformational change in the C form of palmitic acid investigated by Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. de Sousa, F.F.; Nogueira, C.E.S.; Freire, P.T.C.; Moreira, S.G.C.; Teixeira, A.M.R.; de Menezes, A.S.; Mendes Filho, J.; Saraiva, G.D. Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular & Biomolecular Spectroscopy. May2016, Vol. 161, p162-169. 8p. DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2016.02.035.

A direct correlation of x-ray diffraction orientation distributions to the in-plane stiffness of semi-crystalline organic semiconducting films. Bingxiao Zhao; Awartani, Omar; O'Connor, Brendan; Zikry, Mohammed A. Applied Physics Letters. 2016, Vol. 108 Issue 18, p181902-1-181902-3. 3p. 1 Diagram, 1 Chart, 2 Graphs. DOI: 10.1063/1.4948533.

Materials identification using a small-scale pixellated x-ray diffraction system. D O'Flynn; C Crews; I Drakos; C Christodoulou; M D Wilson; M C Veale; P Seller; R D Speller. Journal of Physics: D Applied Physics. 5/5/2016, Vol. 49 Issue 17, p1-1. 1p. DOI: 10.1088/0022-3727/49/17/175304.