20 ANALYTICAL AND LABORATORY EQUIPMENT
liUK’S FIRST quid gallium SAXS
instrument lab opens O
ctober 2016 saw the opening of a new £2 million laboratory
at the University of Sheffi eld, providing Northern Powerhouse scientists with the ability to analyse the structure of nanomaterials in unprecedented detail. Experiments that previously had to be scheduled many months in advance at the Diamond Light Source, the UK’s synchrotron facility in Oxfordshire or the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in Grenoble, France, can now be conducted immediately in Sheffi eld. T e Soft Matter AnalyticaL
Laboratory (SMALL) – part- funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council – will use rheology and X-ray scattering techniques to enable faster advances in the study of polymers, soft matter and colloids. T is research has applications in industrial sectors as diverse as medicine, energy, chemicals, cosmetics, engine oils, food and electronics. T e centrepiece of the
new SMALL facility is a small
www.scientistlive.com
angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) instrument, built by French company Xenocs, the fi rst of its kind in the UK to use a liquid gallium MetalJet X-ray source. T is state-of-the-art design produces a high-intensity X-ray beam that enables scientists to study changes in larger structures over shorter time scales than previously possible. Senior scientist, Dr
Oleksandr Mykhaylyk, who manages the facility, explains: “Conventional solid metal anodes cannot be easily cooled and can melt if used at high power. Because gallium is liquid at room temperature, this problem is avoided with the MetalJet, producing an X-ray beam that is up to 100 times brighter than our old instrument. T is means we can analyse samples within minutes, rather than several hours. T e smallest structures that we can study are close to the size of atoms, while the largest structures are up to 700nm, which is approximately 100 times smaller than the width of a single human hair.” Professor of Polymer and Colloid Chemistry at the
New lab set to boost scientifi c research eff orts in the fi eld of nanomaterials
University of Sheffi eld, Steve Armes, says: “T is instrument will considerably enhance our soft matter research capability because it will enable Sheffi eld scientists to perform measurements at their own institution with 24/7 access.”
Exploring new dimensions T e new SAXS instrument also enables analysis of the dimensions and structure of thin fi lms, such as semiconductors or the active components of solar cells. “Such measurements were previously only possible at a synchrotron facility, but we can now perform these experiments in Sheffi eld, instead of waiting for several months to access specialist equipment elsewhere,” says Mykhaylyk. “T is new SMALL facility will ensure that Sheffi eld scientists remain at the forefront of research in polymer chemistry, soft matter physics and materials science for the next decade.” Professor Philip Nelson,
chief executive, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), says: “T e
opening of this laboratory represents an important step forward in the study of nanomaterials in the UK. Despite the minute size of the matter that will be analysed, work at SMALL could have a big impact and wide-ranging implications, with potential applications in fi elds ranging from medicine to energy. “Funding for SMALL
followed an EPSRC Experimental Equipment Call designed to update and upgrade specialist equipment in universities across the UK and support our portfolio of world- class research.” T e laboratory offi cially opened on October 7. As well as being available to researchers across the University of Sheffi eld – a major centre for materials research – the facility is also open to scientists from the other N8 universities: Leeds, Manchester, Durham, Liverpool, York, Lancaster and Newcastle.
For more information visit:
www.sheffield.ac.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92