The Malvern Panalytical X-ray diffractometer (Empyrean – 3rd Generation) enables a wide variety of measurements to be made on all types of samples (powders, thin films, nanomaterials and solid objects). Non-destructive method allowing the identification and quantification of crystalline phases, short- and long-range atomic order analysis, dimensional and structural characterization of nanomaterials, and determination of layer thickness and surface roughness to name a few. 

MicroLab offers several types of analysis, including: 

1) X-ray powder diffraction to identify and quantify the crystalline phases of various solids. In addition to the reflection mode for the analysis of minerals, metals, ceramics, thin films, fused samples and large samples, the instrument can be used in transmission mode (samples transparent to X-rays) for light materials, gels and air-sensitive materials.

2) XRD microdiffraction enables the analysis of small areas using a very narrow, localized beam.  This analytic method is used with either a small or non-homogenous sample with varying composition, lattice strain or preferred orientation of the crystallites. Microdiffraction is used for small spot characterization of samples with strong gradients in composition like minerals, metals and archaeological samples and is particularly useful for analyzing the components of thin films. 

3) Grazing Incidence X-ray Diffraction (GIXRD) is a non-destructive, quantitative method that allows X-rays to interact with the surface layer of materials, generating a diffraction pattern highly sensitive to the crystallographic properties of the surface. GIXRD is mainly used for phase identification and quantification in polycrystalline materials, and residual stress measurement in thin films.

4) X-ray reflectometry (XRR) is used to study structures, surfaces and interfaces in thin films. This technique relies on the effect of total external reflection of X-rays, and enables precise determination of thickness, film and interface roughness, density and layer uniformity for crystalline or amorphous samples and samples containing magnetic materials, semiconductors and optical materials.

5) Pair Distribution Function (PDF) analysis enables structural characterization (short- and long-range) of crystalline or amorphous materials. The PDF technique extracts information on interatomic distances and coordination numbers from scattering diagrams, irrespective of the material's crystallinity. PDF can be used to analyze polymers, glasses, liquids and some pharmaceutical products.

6) Small-angle and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS) are two complementary techniques that measure the intensity of X-rays scattered by a sample as a function of the scattering angle. Measurements are taken at very small angles, generally between 0.1 degrees and 5 degrees, and enable structural characterization of nanomaterials (1-100 nm) averaged over a large sample volume. SAXS is one of the most versatile techniques for structural characterization of nanomaterials, providing information such as nanoparticle size distribution, shape and structure. These parameters are often correlated with the chemical and physical properties of nanomaterials and associated with their performance in given applications. SAXS is a useful method in the development of new materials and is a useful technique for routine quality control analysis.