Powder X-ray Diffraction in the Undergraduate Curriculum

粉末X射线衍射仪是化学、材料科学、物理和地球科学从业人员的一项重要技术。它是鉴定和定量固体样品中物相的主要方法。因此，在本科实验室进行粉末X射线衍射实验的设备具有很大的教学价值。然而，在本科实验课堂上使用粉末X射线衍射仪有两个相当大的问题：传统上设备昂贵，收集适合定性或定量分析的粉末衍射图需要15到30分钟。如果只使用一台仪器，典型的实验课太短，不能让每个学生收集和分析自己的数据；如果仪器每年只用于少量实验，那么仪器的高昂成本使他们无法购买多个系统。最近，Rigaku开始营销一种低成本的粉末X射线衍射系统(MiniFlex)，该系统的设计考虑了便携性和野外工作。建议购买三个相同的MiniFlex系统，用于化学和材料科学(MSE)本科生课程。这些坚固耐用的小型系统将安装在实验室的手推车上，并使用笔记本电脑进行控制。它们的便携性将使我们能够在教室和建筑物之间移动仪器，以便获得最大可能的影响。购买三个相同的系统将为我们提供所需的样本吞吐量，为每个实验班的本科生提供实践经验。该硬件将用于以下化学和材料科学课程：分析化学(工程师和化学专业)、有机化学、物理化学、高级无机化学、MSE结晶学和衍射学，以及MSE材料实验室。拟议的项目每年将使400名学生受益。

Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) is an important technique for practitioners of Chemistry, Materials Science, Physics, and Earth Science. It is the primary method for identifying and quantifying the phases in solid samples. Consequently, equipment for powder XRD experiments in the undergraduate lab is potentially of great pedagogical value. However, there are two sizable problems associated with the use of powder XRD in undergraduate lab classes: the equipment has traditionally been expensive and the collection of a powder diffraction pattern suitable for qualitative or quantitative analysis takes between 15 and 30 minutes. A typical lab class is too short to allow each student to collect and analyze their own data if a single instrument is employed, and the high cost of the instrumentation precludes the purchase of multiple systems if the instrumentation is only employed for a small number of experiments each year.Recently, Rigaku has begun marketing a low cost powder XRD system (Miniflex) that is designed with portability and fieldwork in mind. The purchase of three identical Miniflex systems for use in both Chemistry and Materials Science (MSE) undergraduate classes is proposed. These small rugged systems will be set up on lab carts and controlled using lap top computers. Their portability will allow us to move the instrumentation between classrooms and buildings so that the maximum possible impact can be obtained. The purchase of three identical systems will give us the sample throughput needed to provide every undergraduate in a lab class with hands on experience. This hardware will be used in the following Chemistry and Materials Science classes: analytical chemistry (for both engineers and chemistry majors), organic chemistry, physical chemistry, advanced inorganic chemistry, MSE crystallography and diffraction, and the MSE Materials Laboratory. The proposed project will benefit 400 students per year.