Rigaku will be hosting a virtual conference on XRD and XRF this week that is free to register here!
Due to the COVID-19 induced cancellations of the Microscopy & MicroAnalysis, Denver X-ray, and American Crystallographic Association physical conferences this summer, Rigaku will be live webcasting a 3-day virtual Analytical X-ray Convention from our laboratory facility in Texas. The webcasts will take place Tuesday 8/4 – Thursday 8/6 and will feature live seminars on X-ray techniques and live instrument demonstrations.
Enjoy the presentations on Channel 1 (XRD), Channel 2 (XRF) and Channel 3 (X-ray Microscopy), and make sure to stop by our Concierge Booth on Channel 4 to say hello, live video chat, and participate in some fun events. We will be announcing upcoming Channel 4 events on the channel itself and via our Rigaku twitter feed (@rigaku, hashtag #RAXC2020), which you can view see on the right to keep up to date with what is going on.
Check the starting times for each day in the program, as different channels have different starting times. All four channels will be broadcast simultaneously and you can move among the four booths using the channel links.
Note that the three guest presentations—to be given by Rigaku sponsors—will all take place on channel 3. This has been updated on the program schedule.
The MCF Staff look forward to welcoming our users back to campus and hope you are all safe and well.
From the office of the EVPR:
Research Ramp-Up Details |
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As part of a careful, gradual return to campus operations, research ramp-up activities are anticipated to begin as early as June 18. Only researchers and staff who must return to campus in order to carry out their job duties should return to work on campus. Supervisors will provide specific direction to their teams on when to return to in-person work. Anyone with questions about when or how they should start reporting to work in-person should, first, ask their supervisor. Required: “Returning Safely to Your Lab” Video If you have been identified by your supervisor to return to your lab, or if you have been working in one of the labs that has remained open, you will be required to watch the “Returning Safely to Your Lab” videos. The six-part module will include what you can expect, recommended safety precautions, cleaning and disinfection best practices, and proper use and disposal of PPE, among other helpful tips for best ensuring your safety and the safety of others. Video Instructions:
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Dear User,
Thank you for your past support of the MCF. Research efforts at Georgia Tech are scheduled to resume in phases beginning on June 18th, and our core facilities are ready to return to operation after significant adaptations to the new norms for hygiene and social distancing.
To comply with the Georgia Tech COVID-19 task force recommendations, we have made changes to our previous operating procedures. They are briefly outlined below and detailed in the attached document.
Social distancing: Lab occupancy, ingress/egress, and tool utilization will be managed by staff, software (SUMS), and physical layout to achieve social distancing by reducing user density.
o Until further notice, all tool usage should be by individuals – no pairs or larger groups.
o In lab facilities, rooms are single-occupancy unless otherwise noted.
o Unfortunately, there will be no in person training for new users until further notice. The staff is working to create video and remote options for training.
Limited access: Until further notice – but for Phase 1 of the ramp-up at a minimum – the labs will not be open 24/7.
o MCF open times are M-F 8:00 am – 10:00 pm and Sat/Sun 10:00 am – 4:00 pm. See attachment for detailed schedules.
o SUMS will automatically limit access – scheduled and operational – to some tools in order to maintain proper user density.
PPE wear: There are new MCF requirements for PPE in the IEN and IMat facilities.
o Gloves and a surgical – not cloth – mask are required in lab spaces.
o There will be increased access to cleaning and hand hygiene supplies.
We are all making our way through this uncharted territory – together.
The staff of the MCF are taking on new cleaning and monitoring duties while also working extended hours and on weekends. At the same time, we understand that returning researchers have lost 3 months of productivity and are under great pressure to make up for lost time.
We have worked hard to create – and have long enjoyed – a positive working relationship between and among the staff and the researchers in our facility. More than ever we will be depending on this culture of mutual understanding and respect to make this re-opening go smoothly.
If you have any questions, concerns, or problems then please reach out to a staff member or the facility manager.
Sincerely,
The IEN and IMat Leadership
Tuesday, April 22: 10:30-11:30AM.
The cathode in a lithium-ion battery undergoes unique electrochemical reactions as lithium enters and leaves the atomic structure of the intercalated lithium compound. The intricacies of this reaction are one source of degradation and, therefore, an opportunity to improve performance. X-ray diffraction and scattering is well-suited to study these atomic phase changes, as well as a tool to understand and optimize the pathways that lithium uses to move through the cathode. However, studying battery materials requires special considerations that are different than the routine powder diffraction measurement.
This webinar, hosted by Malvern PANalytical will review the information that X-ray diffraction and scattering provides and discuss special considerations for experimental design such as selecting an X-ray tube, measurement geometry, and sample holder. We will then show examples of how these considerations are applied to cathode material analysis, including Rietveld refinement to quantify phase mixtures and atomic structure, pair distribution function analysis to examine local structural defects, and phase analysis of thick (10mm) commercial pouch cells, and in operando analysis of LFP based batteries to track phase changes during discharge and charging.
You can sign up for it here.
Dr. Scott Speakman – Principal Scientist Malvern Panalytical
and Dr. Reeves-McLaren of The University of Sheffield
– Who should attend?
Those working within the field of battery research or manufacturing or anyone interested in X-ray Diffraction of materials.
– What will you learn?
You will be educated on the X-ray diffraction and scattering application of lithium-ion batteries, including: Electrochemical reactions and atomic phase changes, with discussion on the special considerations needed for this application.
The client for SingleCrystal is now out of Beta and available for GT users! If you would like the license, please send an email to David.Tavakoli@mse.gatech.edu from your GT mailing address!
As a reminder, all of the Crystalmaker software suite is available for Georgia Tech and we hope that you are well, safe, and healthy!
From the classroom to the laboratory to the synchrotron: SingleCrystal is the easiest way to visualize and understand diffraction properties of crystals. SingleCrystal 4 lets you simulate multi-phase X-ray, neutron and electron diffraction patterns, display reciprocal lattice sections and construct stereographic projections of planes or vectors. By combining a simulated pattern with an observed diffraction image, you can auto-index the pattern and determine the orientation of your crystal.
All Georgia Tech shared-user facilities will be ramping down research activities in response to the ongoing COVID-19 threat.
To comply with the directive from our administration, the MCF will close at 5:00PM this Thursday. All characterization work needs to be complete by 3:00 pm on Thursday without exception.
Equally importantly, please make sure to recover any data that you need to work remotely before that time.
There is no announced date about when the MCF will reopen, so please check Georgia Tech news regularly.
Further details and updates about the impact on research can be found here, and we will be sending SUMS/email announcements as updates occur.
Updates on the Georgia Tech community and the Covid-19 virus can be found here along with a FAQ.
We recently purchased an in situ heating holder from Hitachi and installed it in the aberration corrected STEM Hitachi HD2700. The heating temperature can increase up to 1200C. The in situ heating experiments performed in the aberration corrected STEM can allow you to directly observe the phase transformation, nanoparticle crystallization and growth, atomic cluster or single atom rippening, phase segregation, elemental homogenization, and many others at atomic scale. Currently we hold two types of heating chips w/ or w/o hole in thin SiNx membrane. But the hitachi company offer many selections of heating chips available to buy in small quantity i.e. 5/pk.
If you need to know anything more about the heating experiment or training in the STEM, please contact Mengkun Tian.
Webinar from Malvern PANalytical – XRD Masterclass 1 – Characterization Of Amorphous API
Small molecule drug products often face multiple development challenges, common amongst which are those relating to solubility, stability and manufacturability.
The Developability Classification System (DCS) provides useful guidelines for selecting a formulation technology, based on assessment of the drug’s fundamental properties and dose expectations. APIs which fall under Class 1 (good solubility, good permeability) were discovered and delivered to the market early on.
Nowadays, the majority of small molecule drug candidates are poorly soluble and belong to Class 2 (a & b). For these molecules, solid-form screening and new formulation types are required to create competitive pharmaceutical products.
In the search for more soluble or bioavailable forms, different types of drug formulations are being considered, including nanoparticles, amorphous solid dispersions, co-crystals and drug carrier systems. In this webinar, we’ll focus on amorphous formulations and address the following questions:
• Are amorphous compounds which are obtained in different experimental conditions the same?
• Are they free of nano-crystalline material and are they truly amorphous?
• What are the best ways of quantifying low and high amorphous content?
• How we can we use X-ray diffraction to answer these, and more, questions?
The MCF will be playing this webinar in the MCF Lobby but if you would like to register for this and watch it on your own computer, you can register here.
Date: February 20 2020
Time: 10:30 – 11:30
The MCF has renewed the site license for the Crystalmaker Software Suite (Crystal Maker, Single Crystal, Crystal Diffract)
For more information about what the software is capable of, please visit the company website here.
OIT has updated their website with the new codes for 2020 but you can also email David.Tavakoli at mse.gatech.edu from a gatech email address for them as well.
