Small Angle X-ray Scattering Study of Precipitation Kinetics in Al-Zn-Mg-Cu Alloys

The evolution of microstructure parameters （precipitate size and volume fraction） for two types of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys （7075 and 7055） during aging has been studied by synchrotron-radiation small angle X-ray scattering （SAXS）.The results show that the precipitates are only a few nanorneters for both alloys ageing even at higher temperature of 160℃ for 72 h （4.44 and 5.82 nm, respectively）. The maximum of the precipitate volume fraction increases with in creasing Zn content and is about 0.023-0.028 and 0.052-0.054, respectively. The coarsening of precipitate is consistent with LSW （Lifshitz-Slyozov-Wagner） model even at the initial stage where volume fraction is still varying.The activation energy of coarsening regime has been determined to be about 1.22±0.02 eV and 1.25±0.02 eV for alloys 7075 and 7055, respectively.

Small-angle X-ray scattering investigation of aging behavior of Al-Cu-Mg-Ag alloys using synchrotron radiation

The aging behavior of Al-Cu-Mg-Ag alloys with high Cu/Mg was studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) using synchrotron radiation. TEM study reveals that the major strengthening phases of the alloy after aging at 160?C for 10 h are Ω and less θ′. SAXS study shows that the scattering patterns are composed of several concentric circles at the beginning of aging process, which is replaced by the butterfly-wings scattering patterns with the increase of aging time. The butterfly-wings scattering patterns are composed of several branches. The angles between the branches are roughly equal to that between the habit planes of precipitates. The evolution of Guinier radius with aging time indicates the good coarsening resistance of the precipitates. The evolution of integrated intensity is consistent with the classical two-step precipitation process.

Growth Kinetics of Nanocrystals and Nanorods by Employing Small-angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) and Other Techniques

In this article, we report the results of our detailed investigations of the growth kinetics of zero-dimensional nanocrystals as well as one-dimensional nanorods by the combined use of small angel X-ray scattering （SAXS）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM） along with other physical techniques. The study includes growth kinetics of gold nanocrystals formed by the reduction of HAuCl4 by tetrakis（hydroxymethyl） phosphonium chloride in aqueous solution, of CdSe nanocrystals formed by the reaction of cadmium stearate and selenium under solvothermal conditions, and of ZnO nanorods formed by the reaction of zinc acetate with sodium hydroxide under solvothermal conditions in the absence and presence of capping agents. The growth of gold nanocrystals does not follow the diffusion-limited Ostwald ripening, and instead follows a Sigmoidal rate curve. The heat change associated with the growth determined by isothermal titration calorimetry is about 10 kcal·mol^-1 per I nm increase in the diameter of the nanocrystals. In the case of CdSe nanocrystals also, the growth mechanism deviates from diffusion-limited growth and follows a combined model containing both diffusion and surface reaction terms. Our study of the growth kinetics of uncapped and poly（vinyl pyrollidone） （PVP）-capped ZnO nanorods has yielded interesting insights. We observe small nanocrystals next to the ZnO nanorods after a lapse of time in addition to periodic focusing and defocusing of the width of the length distribution. These observations lend support to the diffusion-limited growth model for the growth of uncapped ZnO nanorods. Accordingly, the time dependence on the length of uncapped nanorods follows the L3 law as required for diffusion-limited Ostwald ripening. The PVP-capped nanorods, however, show a time dependence, which is best described by a combination of diffusion （L^3） and surface reaction （L^2） terms.

Small Angle X-ray Scattering Study of PS Conformation in Tetrahydrofuran Solvent with Gas Anti-solvent

Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) was used to study the effect of dissolved CO2 on the conformation of polystyrene (PS) in PS/tetrahydrofuran(THF) solution at 308.15 K and at pressures up to 3 MPa. The cloud pressure and the expansion curve of the solution were also determined. The dependence of the conformation on pressure was discussed.

Scanning Microfocus Small Angle X-ray Scattering Study of the Avian Eggshell

Synchrotron microfocus small angle X-ray scattering was used to investigate the nanostructure and microscopic variation of eggshells. It uses a microbeam allowing the ability to probe interactions between the organic and inorganic components at nanometer level and is ideal for mapping over small areas to obtain a detailed analysis of structural variations. Thin sections of eggshells were scanned from the shell membrane （inner） to the cuticle （outer） surface. The data collected was used to produce two-dimensional maps showing microscopic changes within the different layers of the eggshell. The structural alterations ap- parently could have implications at the macroscopic level of the resulting eggshell. As the organic matrix is embedded within the eggshell this may contribute to the variations observed in calcite crystal form and texture, Structural information obtained about a biomaterial at different length scales is important in relating the structure to its functional properties. This knowledge and the principles behind the formation of biomaterials could be used in the attempt of bioengineering new systems.

Characteristics of AOT Microemulsion Structure: a Small Angle X-ray Scattering Study

The method of synchrotron radiation small-angle X-ray scattering (SR-SAXS) has been used to obtain structural information on the system of bis (2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT)/H2O/isooctane. By using the Guinier plot (Ln I (q) versus q(2)) on the data sets in a defined small q range (0.03-0.06 Angstrom (-1)), the gyration radius at different water/surfactant molar ratio, W-0, was obtained. With the increase of W-0, the gyration radius (R-g) increased at the range of 23.2 similar to 52.7 Angstrom.

Probing Nanoscale Morphology of PS/PMMA/CdS &PS/PVC/CdS Polymeric Nanocomposites through Small Angle X-Ray Scattering Analysis

Polymeric nanocomposites of PS/PMMA/CdS and PS/PVC/CdS samples have been synthesized through dispersion solution casting technique. The nanoparrticles of CdS were prepared by simple chemical method using CdCl2 and H2S gas produced from thiourea. The nanoscale morphology of the prepared polymeric nanocomposite samples is probed through small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The SAXS study reveals that CdS nanoparticles take place at voids position in the respective plymer blend matrix and exhibit their nano nature with very little tendency to agglomerates.

Stability of the Dividing Distribution Function Method for ParticleSize Distribution Analysis in Small Angle X－Ray Scattering

The Dividing Distribution Function (DDF) method is one of the methods by which the particle size distribution of ultrafine powder can be evaluated from its small angle X-ray scattering data. In this paper, the stability of the solution obtained from DDF method has been investigated through optimizing the coefficient matrix, introducing a damping factor and a least square treatment. All calculations were accomplished with a microcomputer. It was shown that the average deviations of the size distribution obtained are not larger than the assigned random errors to the scattering intensities as long as the corresponding requirements are satisfied.

Nano-scale pore distribution characterisation of coal using small angle X-ray scattering

In the process of coal seam fracturing with liquid nitrogen(LN_(2)),the change of coal pore structure has an important influence on the efficiency of coalbed methane(CBM)extraction.The nano-scale pore size distribution(PSD)in coal particles before and after freezing with LN_(2) are experimentally studied in this work.Coal samples are collected from four coal mines,where coal and gas outburst accidents have occurred.Small angle X-ray scattering technology(SAXS)and scanning electron microscopy(SEM)are used to study the pore structure changes of coal samples quantitatively and qualitatively.It is found that the scattering intensity of coal samples increases after freezing.The PSD of all samples significantly changes in the range of 0.8–7 nm,showing new pore spaces in 0.8–4 nm and fewer pores in the 4–7 nm range.Both the pore fractal dimension and the radius of gyration of coal samples increase after freezing and are mainly affected by the changes in pores and the anisotropy of the coal matrix.Crack expansion and pore connections are observed in the surface structure of the coal sample using SEM.This study provides a better understanding of the nano-scale mechanism of coal seam fracturing with LN_(2) for the prevention of coal and gas outbursts.

Small angle X-ray scattering of the colloidal crystal

The monodisperse polystyrene spheres are assembled into the colloidal crystal on the glass substrate by vertical deposition method, which is aimed at the so-called photonic crystal applications. The structural information of the bulk colloidal crystal is crucial for understanding the crystal growth mechanism and devel- oping the various applications of colloidal crystal. Small-angle X-ray scattering （SAXS） technique was used to obtain the bulk structure of the colloidal crystal at Beamline lW2A of BSRF. It is found that the SAXS pattern is sensitive to the relative orientation between the colloidal sample and the incident X-ray direction. The crystal lattice was well distinguished and determined by the SAXS data.

DETERMINATION OF SIZE DISTRIBUTION OF THE CRYSTALLINE PARTICLE IN AGED METALLIC GLASS BY SMALL ANGLE X-RAY SCATTERING

Ⅰ. INTRODUCTIONAlthough many authors have investigated the structure of annealed metallic glass by means of small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), there has been no report in which size distribution of the crystalline particle in aged metallic glass is determined. Determining size distribution of the crystalline particle will be beneficial to understanding the nucleation and growth process of the crystalline particle. In this note, size distribution of the crystalline parti-

DETERMINATION OF THE SHAPE AND DIMENSION OF PRECIPITATE FROM AGED Lc4 ALUMINIUM ALLOY BY SMALL ANGLE X-RAY SCATTERING

Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) is extensively used for determining the dimension of a particle, but rarely used for determining its shape. The difficulty is that it needs to do extensive calculations. In addition, it can only be carried out for the mono-dispersion system. In re cent years, Reuther et al. succeeded in determining the shape and dimension of the particle of a polymer gel.

Characterization of the nanopore structures of PAN-based carbon fiber precursors by small angle X-ray scattering

The nanopore structures in precursors Four carbon-fiber precursors are prepared. They are crucial to the performance of PAN-based carbon fibers are bath-fed filaments （A）, water-washing filaments （B） hot-stretching filaments （C） and drying-densification filaments （D）. Synchrotron radiation small angle X-ray scattering is used to probe and compare the nanopore structures of the four fibers. The nanopore size, discrete volume distribution, nanopore orientation degree along the fiber axis and the porosity are obtained. The results demonstrate that the nanopores are mainly formed in the water-washing stage. During the processes of the subsequent production technologies, the slenderness ratio of nanopores and their orientation degree along the fiber axis increase further and simultaneously, the porosity decreases. These results are helpful for improving the performance of the final carbon fibers.

Influence of energy bandwidth of pink beam on small angle X-ray scattering

Background Compared with the traditional monochromatic synchrotron radiation beam,a pink beam is a quasimonochromatic beam which can be obtained by screening a harmonic of the undulator.The energy bandwidth(E/E)of a pink beam is about 10−2.Despite the intensity gain from the quasi-monochromatic beam,the decrease in the energy resolution will lead the collected data to be smeared.Purpose To study the influence of the energy bandwidth on the small angle X-ray scattering(SAXS)by experiments and verify the feasibility of SAXS with a pink beam.Method Firstly,the influence of different energy bandwidths on SAXS has been studied by simulation and experiment.Then,TEM tests have been performed and compared with the experimental results.Result It has been shown that the scattering curves deviate slightly from the traditional monochromatic ones.This deviation does not influence the data processing for the maximum deviation of the results is just less than 2%.In return,the gain in the intensity(one to two orders of magnitude)makes the pink beam very important for the time-resolved SAXS.Further,the results of TEM and SAXS have shown an excellent agreement.Conclusion Thiswork proves that the pink beam could be used for SAXS directly without a desmearing procedure.Benefiting from the increase in the beam intensity,the exposure time can be greatly shortened,thus enhancing the utilization efficiency of the synchrotron radiation.

小角中子散射原位热力耦合加载装置

热力耦合近工况条件下材料微观结构的原位实验研究,对于深入理解材料服役性能演化机制十分重要,可给出样品微观上的纳米结构尺度分布。为充分发挥小角中子散射统计性好、取样体积大可开展原位实验等优势,本文基于中国先进研究堆小角中子散射谱仪,设计并研制了一台高温和拉力同时加载的原位实验装置,并实现了高温高压下原位测量材料的纳米尺度形貌变化。实验测试结果表明,装置最大载荷可达20 kN,最高温度800℃,控温精度优于±1℃。利用该装置对镍基单晶高温合金样品进行了原位小角中子散射测试,发现温度拉力条件下样品内部纳米结构的明显变化,表明基于该装置可开展热力耦合加载下的原位小角中子散射实验。该装置及其相应实验方法,可用于核电不锈钢等多种高温结构材料的原位加载实验研究,提供微观结构演化数据。

In-situ SAXS study on PET/PMMT composites during tensile tests

The nanostructures during the tensile drawing of poly（ethylene terephthalate） （PET）/hexadecyl triphenyl phospho- nium bromide montmorillonite （PMMT） nanocomposites were studied by in-situ small angle x-ray scattering. For strain higher than the yield point, the scattering intensity increases dramatically due to the nucleation and growth of nanovoids and crystals. The nanovoids and crystals are significantly dependent on the heating temperature. The effective filling of PMMT in the PET matrix provokes a strong restriction to the long period. The peaks of the long period disappear gradually with the deformation strain increasing from 0% to 34%.

原位小角X射线散射研究热拉工艺对熔融拉伸法制备的聚丙烯微孔膜结构的影响

采用原位小角X射线散射和扫描电子显微镜研究了热拉过程中,拉伸比和拉伸温度对熔融拉伸法制备的聚丙烯微孔膜晶体和孔洞结构的影响.研究结果表明,冷拉、热定型过程中片晶簇被分离开,其内部结构在热拉过程中不发生分离等变形;随着热拉拉伸比的增加,片晶簇间架桥长度不断增大;与冷拉、热定型样品相比,热拉后的微孔膜架桥沿垂直于拉伸方向具有较好的周期性.不同的拉伸温度结果表明,架桥长度随拉伸温度升高而增加;温度过高时架桥会发生熔融.

聚乙烯薄膜拉伸过程中结构变化的原位研究

使用差示扫描量热分析(DSC)研究了其拉伸前后结晶动力学与热力学行为的区别,使用同步加速器小角X射线散射(SAXS)和广角X射线衍射(WAXD)研究了薄膜拉伸过程中晶体结构、尺寸和长周期的变化。结果表明,拉伸使薄膜结晶度提高;拉伸过程中,二维散射图案发生明显变化,片晶结构被破坏后高应力诱导下重新结晶,拉伸使薄膜晶体取向度和晶体尺寸明显增大;随拉伸进行,纵向(拉伸方向)和45°方向的长周期先增大后减小,而横向一直呈下降趋势。聚乙烯工业缠绕膜通常在拉伸应变1.5倍附近下使用,此时薄膜纵向上已经高度取向并形成了拉伸诱导结晶,从而在纵向上有较高的力学强度。而横向上片晶结构尚未完全破坏,仍保持着一定的力学性能,因此综合使用性能较好。

X射线小角散射系统构造及应用研究

X射线小角散射(SAXS)是研究介观尺度固态或液态结构的有力工具。由于SAXS有关理论和解析方法还不成熟,用于专门测试小角特性的仪器"X射线小角散射系统"发展远不如其他X射线衍射仪,而且还不为广泛了解和利用,仪器构造分析及软件也很少有人介绍。介绍了小角散射的原理及构造;探讨了影响测试结果的因素,如:光源、光路系统、分辨率、样品的厚度、探测器等。通过4个基于SAXS的应用研究实例开发了仪器的功能。以SBA-15为例,分析了如何通过该系统表征确定有序介观材料的结构;表征了取向碳纳米管/液晶高分子复合材料的结构;通过SAXS原位变温测试表征了二炔酸/三聚氰胺胶束固体的结构特征;利用SAXS确定了线性聚乙烯退火前后长周期的变化。最后,本文详细的介绍了目前仪器测试功能的局限性和硬件升级改造。

同步辐射小角X射线散射及其在材料研究中的应用

小角X射线散射(small angle X-ray scattering,SAXS)是研究物质内部一纳米到数百纳米甚至到微米尺度级别微观结构的有力工具。近年来随着我国同步辐射技术的不断发展,同步辐射SAXS技术被越来越多地应用到各种材料的研究领域。然而,由于SAXS图谱是倒空间的信号,并不像显微镜那么直观,也不如X射线衍射(XRD)那么被大家所熟知。简要介绍了SAXS的基本原理(稀疏体系、稠密体系),简短回顾了我国同步辐射小角散射线站的发展和进步。主要介绍了最近十余年基于同步辐射SAXS原位实时检测技术在高分子材料成型加工(结晶、取向性、周期性),原位SAXS和反常SAXS技术在合金相析出(成分、团簇尺寸),以及掠入射X射线散射在介孔薄膜(区域尺寸、位错因子)和有机光伏薄膜等领域中的典型应用,并展望了同步辐射SAXS技术的发展趋势及其在材料领域的应用前景。