Welcome

Thanks again to everyone who came by our booths at Material Science & Technology (MS&T 2017) and Geological Society of America (GSA 2017) this month. It was great to see everyone and to have the chance to talk about our new and exciting products. In November, we invite members of the scientific, security and industrial communities to come see us at a variety of events listed below. Of particular note, we will be attending MRS in Boston, EAS in Princeton, NJ and AAPS in San Diego.

Rigaku was the platinum sponsor for XNPIG2017 in Zürich, Switzerland

This month's issue contains a Rigaku Journal article describing how to measure trace amounts of sample by X-ray fluorescence analysis. In addition, a special report is included on the recently concluded 17th International Conference on Silicon Carbide and Related Materials (ICSCRM 2017).

Application papers are also included for TXRF, EDXRF, WDXRF, and XRD. Five short book reviews are included this month concerning a variety of interesting topics. This month's video covers the recently observed collision of two neutron stars and the formation of heavy elements. Check out the news and papers sections at the bottom of the page for the latest developments in materials science.

R.C. Tisdale, Ph.D. – Editor

Featured Rigaku Journal Article How to measure trace amounts of sample by X-ray fluorescence analysis By Satoshi Ikeda, SBU-WDX, X-ray Instrument Division, Rigaku Corporation Quality control analysis, which requires high precision, normally requires large samples as much as 20 – 30 mm in diameter. However, in many cases it is dificult to prepare samples large enough or in suffcient quantity for R&D or troubleshooting. Because these samples are precious, there is a strong requirement to recover them after XRF analysis for other analysis methods. This paper introduces sample preparation methods useful for trace sample (small pieces, small amounts of powder, etc.) analysis. Full article >

Featured Event 17th International Conference on Silicon Carbide and Related Materials Reported by Daisaburo Hirai, Semiconductor International Sales Department, Semiconductor Metrology Division, Rigaku Corporation Rigaku exhibited at the 17th International Conference on Silicon Carbide and Related Materials (ICSCRM 2017) from September 17th to 22nd in Washington, D.C., U.S.A. ICSCRM started in 1987, with the annual conference rotating among locations in Asia, Europe and the U.S. This year, the conference saw more than 600 attendees from academia and companies who engage in wide-bandgap semiconductor research. Full report >

XRD Application Note Appropriate Restraint Settings for Crystal Structure Refinement By Akito Sasaki and Hisashi Konaka, XRD Application & Software Development Dept., X-ray Instrument Division, Rigaku Corporation Normally, the first choice for crystal structure analysis is the single crystal method. But, sometimes good single crystals cannot be prepared in terms of size and quality, or single crystal state cannot be maintained due to phase transitions, etc. The single crystal method cannot be applied in those cases, and you have to try structure analysis from powder diffraction data to obtain crystal structure information. For more >

XRD Application Note Measurement of Bulk Samples – Brake pad of a motorcycle Rigaku Corporation Bulk samples such as metal blocks, ceramic sintered bodies, or pharmaceutical tablets are aggregates of microcrystals that can be measured by X-ray powder diffraction. With Rigaku's bulk sample holder, thick bulk samples can be easily placed in the diffractometer without any need to cut or pulverize, making it possible to identify crystal phases of bulk surfaces in a non-destructive manner. For more >

WDXRF Application Note Accurate Determination for Elements in Laterite Ores by Pressed Powder Method Rigaku Corporation In modern resource industries, demand for accurate and quick determination of elements in ores is increasing in order to efficiently operate mining and processing. Wet chemical analysis, which is the traditional analytical technique for elemental determination, requires time and expertise for sample preparation and is therefore not suited for the rapid analysis of large number of samples. X-ray fluorescent spectrometry (XRF) with pressed powder method can overcome these problems. For more >

TXRF Application Note Benchtop TXRF spectrometer NANOHUNTER II Qualitative analysis of residual abrasive on glass surface Rigaku Corporation Various materials are used in the process of polishing glass to remove fine scratches on glass surface or improve smoothness. Hematite particles were used formerly and recently using Bastnasite particles has become mainstream. The new materials are also being studied instead of expensive R.E.. For more >

EDXRF Application Note Brake Pads & Raw Material Mixtures Applied Rigaku Technologies Brake pads are composed of various binders, abrasives, materials for structure and performance, and fillers. Raw materials include many materials including organics, resins, glass, metal chips and metallic compounds, minerals, petroleum coke and ceramics. Raw materials are mixed together in various proportions to obtain desired product specifications and performance and monitoring elemental composition along the mixing and production processes is vital for ensuring optimum product quality and specifications. To meet this industry need, Applied Rigaku Technologies offers NEX CG. For more >

XRD and XRF Application Note Correlative XRD and XRF Analysis of an Alumina Wear Tile AXT, A Rigaku Distributor There are many applications where wear is a major problem such as in mineral processing, mining, coal and materials handling. In many of these applications hard metals and alloys including tool steels and tungsten carbides have been traditionally used but are not up to the task. As more advanced materials have come to the fore, engineering ceramics such as alumina have demonstrated their ability to extend the life of wear surfaces, improve component life, reduce downtime and increase productivity. For more >

Book Reviews Al Franken, Giant of the Senate; This Fight Is Our Fight: The Battle to Save America's Middle Class; The Colder War: How the Global Energy Trade Slipped from America's Grasp; Devil's Bargain, Steve Bannon, Donald Trump and the Storming of the Presidency; What Happened Reviews by Joseph Ferrara, Deputy Director, X-ray Research Laboratory, Rigaku I have been focused on a number of recent titles that analyze current events so I am a bit behind on my reviews of science-oriented books. Here is what I've read the last few months. For more >

Material Analysis in the News News for October 2017 October 1, 2017. Aluminum remains one of material science's most prized and frequently used substances. A team comprised of researchers from the U.S. and Russia restructured the household metal at the molecular level. The result was a new ultra-light crystalline form of aluminum that is lighter than water. October 2, 2017. Researchers at Tokyo Tech have reported superconductivity in two kinds of higher titanium oxides prepared in the form of ultrathin films. With a thickness of around 120 nanometers, these materials reveal properties that are only just beginning to be explored. To verify the crystalline structures of the films, the team collaborated with researchers at the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) who used X-ray diffraction (XRD) at the SPring-8 synchrotron. October 5, 2017. Researchers at the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) in Japan are the first to add plasmonic metamaterials to spintronic devices to enhance spin-current generation from the heat produced in the mid-infrared regime. The team in Japan showed that a spin current can be generated directly from the absorbed photons in the Pt film, a paramagnetic metal, that is placed over YIG, which is a magnetic insulator. October 5, 2017. A team led by Cory Dean, assistant professor of physics at Columbia University, and James Hone, Wang Fong-Jen Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Columbia Engineering, has definitively observed an intensely studied anomaly in condensed matter physics – the even-denominator fractional quantum Hall (FQH) state – via transport measurement in bilayer graphene. October 5, 2017. 3M, the global innovation company long recognized for diversified technology and collaboration, announced the opening of a new 3M Design Center in Japan, a hub to accelerate the growth of design across the global enterprise. October 9, 2017. Japanese scientists grow drugs in chicken eggs. Researchers at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in the Kansai region kicked off the process by introducing genes that produce interferon beta into hen eggs. October 11, 2017. Someone is going to commercialize a general purpose, universal quantum computer, and Intel wants to be the first. So does Google. So does IBM. And D-Wave is pretty sure it already has done this, even if many academics and a slew of upstart competitors don't agree. What we can all agree on is that there is a very long road ahead. October 11, 2017. Substituting atoms in the process of making two-dimensional alloys not only allows them to be customized for applications but also can make them magnetic. Researchers at Rice, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the University of Southern California (USC) and Kumamoto University in Japan used chemical vapor deposition (CVD) to make atom-thick sheets and, in the same step, tailor their properties by adding other elements through a process known as doping. October 11, 2017. Researchers based at Kyushu University have developed a single catalyst capable of acting as both a fuel cell that consumes hydrogen to release energy and a photosynthetic system able to make oxygen using solar energy. The researchers used X-ray diffraction to provide new insights into the structure and behavior of the catalyst. October 16, 2017. For the first time, scientists have directly detected gravitational waves – ripples in space-time – in addition to light from the spectacular collision of two neutron stars. This marks the first time that a cosmic event has been observed in both gravitational waves and light. October 19, 2017. Japan's space agency uncovers a 30 mile-long cavern on the moon that could house astronauts and protect them from deadly radiation. Radar data taken from Japan's Selene spacecraft revealed the huge structure. Scans revealed it is 31 miles (50 km) long and 330 feet (100 metre) wide.

Recent Scientific Papers of Interest Papers for October 2017 Recent Scientific Papers of Interest is a monthly compilation of material analysis papers appearing in recently released journals and publications. See below

BioXTAS RAW: improvements to a free open-source program for small-angle X-ray scattering data reduction and analysis. Hopkins, Jesse Bennett; Gillilan, Richard E.; Skou, Soren. Journal of Applied Crystallography. Oct2017, Vol. 50 Issue 5, p1545-1553. 8p. DOI: 10.1107/S1600576717011438.

X-ray diffraction microscopy based on refractive optics. Poulsen, H. F.; Jakobsen, A. C.; Simons, H.; Ahl, S. R.; Cook, P. K.; Detlefs, C. Journal of Applied Crystallography. Oct2017, Vol. 50 Issue 5, p1441-1456. 15p. DOI: 10.1107/S1600576717011037.

Inelastic x-ray scattering measurements of liquid water-glycerol mixtures. Yukio Kajihara; Nanako Shibata; Masanori Inui; Kazuhiro Matsuda; Satoshi Tsutsui. EPJ Web of Conferences. 2017, Vol. 151, p1-8. 8p. DOI: 10.1051/epjconf/201715106003.

Correlating pore size and shape to local disorder in microporous carbon: A combined small angle neutron and X-ray scattering study. Jafta, Charl J.; Petzold, Albrecht; Risse, Sebastian; Clemens, Daniel; Wallacher, Dirk; Goerigk, Günter; Ballauff, Matthias. Carbon. Oct2017, Vol. 123, p440-447. 8p. DOI: 10.1016/j.carbon.2017.07.046.

Self-assembly of a bio-based extractant in methyl esters: combination of small angle X-ray scattering experiments and molecular dynamics simulations. Gomes Rodrigues, Donatien; Fadel, Ophélie; Bauduin, Pierre; Girard, Luc; Guilbaud, Philippe; L'Hermitte, Annabelle; Rossignol-Castera, Anne; Diat, Olivier. Green Chemistry. 10/7/2017, Vol. 19 Issue 19, p4680-4689. 10p. DOI: 10.1039/c7gc01769c.

Integrated Three-Dimensional Microanalysis Combining X-Ray Microtomography and X-Ray Fluorescence Methodologies. Laforce, Brecht; Masschaele, Bert; Boone, Matthieu N.; Schaubroeck, David; Dierick, Manuel; Vekemans, Bart; Walgraeve, Christophe; Janssen, Colin; Cnudde, Veerle; Hoorebeke, Luc Van; Vincze, Laszlo. Analytical Chemistry. 10/3/2017, Vol. 89 Issue 19, p10617-10624. 8p. DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.7b03205.

Estimate of carbon fiber's fracture toughness based on the small angle X-ray diffraction. Wang, Meiling; Bian, Wenfeng; Jiang, Zhaochun. Polymer Bulletin. Oct2017, Vol. 74 Issue 10, p4143-4151. 9p. DOI: 10.1007/s00289-017-1941-2.

Selective Micellar Extraction of Ultratrace Levels of Uranium in Aqueous Samples by Task Specific Ionic Liquid Followed by Its Detection Employing Total Reflection X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry. Saha, Abhijit; Sanyal, Kaushik; Rawat, Neetika; Deb, Sadhan Bijoy; Saxena, Manoj Kumar; Tomar, Bhupendra Singh. Analytical Chemistry. 10/3/2017, Vol. 89 Issue 19, p10422-10430. 9p. DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.7b02427.

An indexing algorithm independent of peak position extraction for X-ray powder diffraction patterns. Coelho, Alan A. Journal of Applied Crystallography. Oct2017, Vol. 50 Issue 5, p1323-1330. 7p. DOI: 10.1107/S1600576717011359.

High pressure x-ray diffraction studies of the nanostructured Ge₃₄Sb₆₆ solid solution produced by mechanical alloying. Rebelo, Querem Hapuque Felix; de Souza, Sérgio Michielon; Trichês, Daniela Menegon; de Figueiredo Pereira, Aercio Filipe Franklim; de Lima, João Cardoso. Journal of Alloys & Compounds. Oct2017, Vol. 722, p131-137. 7p. DOI: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2017.06.090.

Protonation of Ferrocene: A Low-Temperature X-ray Diffraction Study of [Cp₂FeH](PF₆) Reveals an Iron-Bound Hydrido Ligand. Malischewski, Moritz; Seppelt, Konrad; Sutter, Jörg; Heinemann, Frank W.; Dittrich, Birger; Meyer, Karsten. Angewandte Chemie. 10/16/2017, Vol. 129 Issue 43, p13557-13561. 5p. DOI: 10.1002/ange.201704854.

Bimorph Actuator: a New Instrument for Time-Resolved X-ray Diffraction and Spectroscopy. Blagov, A.E.; Kulikov, A.G.; Marchenkov, N.V.; Pisarevsky, Y.V.; Kovalchuk, M.V. Experimental Techniques. Oct2017, Vol. 41 Issue 5, p517-523. 7p. DOI: 10.1007/s40799-017-0194-1.

Microstructure of dental cements from small-angle scattering and X-ray tomography. Viani, A.; Sotiriadis, K.; Kumpová, I. Dental Materials. 2017 Supplement, Vol. 33, pe81-e81. 1p. DOI: 10.1016/j.dental.2017.08.164.

The use of anomalous x-ray diffraction as a tool for the analysis of compound semiconductors. Daniel M Többens; Susan Schorr. Semiconductor Science & Technology. Oct2017, Vol. 32 Issue 10, p1-1. 1p. DOI: 10.1088/1361-6641/aa8708.

Identifying eighteenth century pigments at the Bodleian library using in situ Raman spectroscopy, XRF and hyperspectral imaging. Mulholland, R.; Howell, D.; Beeby, A.; Nicholson, C.; Domoney, K. Heritage Science. 10/18/2017, Vol. 5 Issue 1, p1-19. 19p. DOI: 10.1186/s40494-017-0157-y.

Characterization of the porous structure of a non-woven fibrous medium for air filtration at local and global scales using porosimetry and X-ray micro-tomography. Théron, Félicie; Lys, Elisabeth; Joubert, Aurélie; Bertrand, François; Le Coq, Laurence. Powder Technology. Oct2017, Vol. 320, p295-303. 9p. DOI: 10.1016/j.powtec.2017.07.020.

Compression-recovery model of absorptive glass mat (AGM) separator guided by X-ray micro-computed tomography analysis. Kameswara Rao, P.V.; Rawal, Amit; Kumar, Vijay; Rajput, Krishn Gopal. Journal of Power Sources. Oct2017, Vol. 365, p389-398. 10p. DOI: 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2017.08.055.

A capillary specimen aberration for describing X-ray powder diffraction line profiles for convergent, divergent and parallel beam geometries. Coelho, Alan A.; Rowles, Matthew R. Journal of Applied Crystallography. Oct2017, Vol. 50 Issue 5, p1331-1340. 9p. DOI: 10.1107/S160057671701130X.

Nanoparticle size distribution quantification: results of a small-angle X-ray scattering inter-laboratory comparison. Pauw, Brian R.; Kästner, Claudia; Thünemann, Andreas F. Journal of Applied Crystallography. Oct2017, Vol. 50 Issue 5, p1280-1288. 8p. DOI: 10.1107/S160057671701010X.