Acquisition of a Powder X-ray Diffractometer for Environmental and Materials Research at UC Merced

粉末X射线衍射仪（XRD）系统的收购服务于各种研究和教学需要在加州大学默塞德，新的第10个校园在加州大学系统，正式打开大门，本科生和研究生在2005年秋季。 粉末XRD是正在进行的环境和材料研究的重要工具，也是扩展我们跨学科材料科学和工程以及化学科学计划的关键工具。 我们正在购买一种具有自动化功能的基本高质量仪器，可以轻松地重新配置用于不同的应用，以满足一系列用户和研究需求。 该仪器的特点包括一个带有Cu X射线管的固态X射线发生器、θ-θ测角仪（用于固定样品、移动源和检测器）、低背景快速固态检测器和一个用于空气敏感样品和研究随温度变化的相变的温控惰性气体样品室附件（-193 ℃至+450 ℃）。 XRD仪器将作为我们现有的成像和显微镜设施的一部分向用户开放，这是第一个集中式校园充电设施，并由全职实验室经理提供支持，该经理将负责仪器监督和用户培训。 它将支持教师，研究生和本科生的研究，它将用于课程，如环境化学，仪器/分析方法，土壤化学，材料科学和材料工程。 目前和计划的研究，将在加州大学默塞德支持包括：化学和污染物在环境中的流动性;土壤，沉积环境和工程系统中的地质颗粒的环境化学和矿物学;大气和环境团聚体和纳米粒子;天然生物材料的性能;合成，表征，结构和半导体纳米粒子的性能。 主要应用包括定性和定量相鉴定、非晶/结晶表征、多晶型鉴别、杂质分析以及温度和大气相关相变研究。 该仪器将产生广泛的影响，有助于加州大学默塞德的使命，以服务于加州，这是占主导地位的西班牙裔南部中央谷，有一个高移民和第一代人口的快速增长的人口，并在历史上代表性不足的高等教育。

The acquisition of a powder X-ray diffractometer (XRD) system serves a variety of research and teaching needs at UC Merced, the new 10th campus in the UC system, which officially opened its doors for undergraduate and graduate students in Fall 2005. Powder XRD is an essential tool for ongoing environmental and materials research, and a critical instrument for the expansion of our interdisciplinary materials science and engineering and chemical sciences programs. We are purchasing a basic, high quality instrument with automated capabilities that can be easily reconfigured for different applications to serve a range of users and research demands. Features of the instrument include a solid-state X-ray generator with Cu X-ray tube, theta-theta goniometer (for a stationary sample, moving source and detector), fast solid-state detector with low background, and a temperature-controlled, inert gas sample chamber attachment (-193 C to +450 C) for air-sensitive samples and investigation of temperature-dependent phase changes. The XRD instrumentation will be openly available to users as part of our existing Imaging and Microscopy Facility, the first centralized campus recharge facility, and supported by a full-time laboratory manager who will be responsible for instrument oversight and user training. It will support faculty, graduate, and undergraduate research, and it will be used in courses such as environmental chemistry, instrumental/analytical methods, soil chemistry, materials science, and materials engineering. Current and planned research that will be supported at UC Merced includes: the chemistry and mobility of contaminants in the environment; environmental chemistry and mineralogy of geoparticles in soils, sedimentary environments, and engineered systems; atmospheric and environmental agglomerates and nanoparticles; properties of natural biomaterials; synthesis, characterization, structure, and properties of semiconductor nanoparticles. Main applications include qualitative and quantitative phase identification, amorphous/crystalline characterization, polymorph discrimination, impurity analysis, and temperature- and atmosphere-dependent phase transformation studies. The instrumentation will have a broad impact in contributing to UC Merced's mission to serve the rapidly growing population of the southern Central Valley of California, which is dominantly Hispanic, has a high immigrant and first-generation population, and is historically underrepresented in higher education.