MRI: Acquisition of a Multi-User, High Resolution, Research Grade X-ray Diffractometer (XRD)

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Technical AbstractMSU will acquire a new high resolution, research grade XRD to support our expanding materials research programs. The instrument will be configured with different stages and optics to support a variety of analysis techniques to guide the development of nanomaterials, thin epitaxial films, and texture control. The state-of-the-art XRD will be used for research into a broad range of problems related to advanced manufacturing processes which include: effectiveness of dispersion techniques for exfoliating nanoclays; phase identification in clay mimics; fabrication of low cost, defect free SiC semiconductors; and control of residual stresses by process parameter obtimization in friction stir welding. The XRD will also be used for an extensive set of outreach and educational programs targeted at the training of our next generation of engineers and scientists for interdisciplinary teamwork. Our centralized facility, the electron microscopy center, has an interactive setting for viewing of equipment and data from anywhere on campus and throughout the K-12 educational system in Mississippi. Currently offered summer Outreach Programs for Teachers are used to advertise this resource. It is our desire to foster the integration of research and education by providing modern materials characterization and analysis instrumentation to the engineering and scientific community at MSU. Lay AbstractThe internal structure, or arrangement of atoms, in engineering materials is responsible for the ultimate reliability and performance of everything that we use. To reduce costs of many of the products used in the transportation industry, new methods to synthesis and fabricate materials are being developed. Use of these new novel materials and processes relies on the ability to determine their internal structure and verify the absence of defects or internal stresses that could result in premature failure. The use of XRD is central to investigating how the processing technique affects the internal structure. The new XRD at MSU will greatly enhance the existing capabilities of our materials science research programs to produce new novel materials for many applications including: improved automotive safety, development of hybrid automobiles, fabrication of launch vehicles for space exploration, and consumer electronics. The XRD will also greatly contribute to the existing outreach and education programs to train the next generation of engineers and scientists in the relationship between internal structure and properties. Several experiments are planned which will be broadcast from the interactive setting through the Mississippi Public Broadcast network. One experiment planned for the K-12 students is the use of the XRD in the investigation of how modifying the processing of chocolate affects the internal structure and the resulting taste.