Acquisition of an X-ray powder diffraction system

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X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) is an important component of my ongoing geological and mineralogical research and that of colleagues in the Earth Sciences, as well as other departments at Memorial University, including Chemistry, and Physics and Physical Oceanography. The current X-ray diffractometer in Earth Sciences, a Rigaku D/MAX RU-200 from 1989, has been heavily used over the past 17 years and has served the Earth Sciences Department and Memorial University well; however, it is no longer being supported for parts or service by the manufacturer and is frequently unusable. In this grant application, I request funds to acquire a Rigaku Ultima III X-ray powder diffraction system that will be housed in the Earth Sciences Department and maintained and overseen by the a staff member of the Core Research Equipment and Instrument Training (CREAIT) network at Memorial University, Wanda Aylward, a Ph.D. analytical chemist with considerable experience in instrumentation and electronics. A schedule of user fees has been developed that will offset the operation and maintenance of the diffractometer and which will allow Canadian NSERC grantees and a wider pool of researchers and businesses to use the Rigaku Ultima III X-ray diffraction system for their research.