Sample Stages Overview XRDynamic 500

Significance of the Topic

Modern X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses demand versatile sample handling to accommodate diverse materials, geometries, and environmental conditions. Flexible sample stages and automated alignment are essential for high throughput, reproducibility, and accurate phase, stress, or structural investigations in research and quality control laboratories.

Objectives and Study Overview

The XRDynamic 500 platform is designed as a future-proof XRD solution covering reflection, transmission, capillary, and non-ambient measurements. This overview describes its range of sample stages and modules, focusing on rapid configuration changes, precise automatic alignment, and compatibility with various sample holders and environmental attachments.

Methodology and Instrumentation

The XRDynamic 500 system integrates multiple interchangeable stages mounted on a motorized Z-axis for height alignment, combined with component recognition for automatic configuration detection. The main modules include:

• Fixed stage and sample spinner for powder and bulk materials in reflection/transmission geometries.
• Capillary spinner stage with alignment microscope for open and sealed capillaries, ensuring rotational averaging and focusing beam optics.
• XY stage with adapter plates for bulk solids, thin films, or automated sample changer (up to 12 samples) using TruBeam™ concept for mixed configurations.
• EVAC module for XRD and SAXS under vacuum, reducing background scattering and enabling qmin = 0.05 nm⁻¹ resolution.
• Non-ambient attachments (HTK 1500, HTK 1200N, XRK 900, TTK 600, CHC plus+, HTK 16N/2000N) covering temperatures from –190 °C to +2 300 °C, varied atmospheres, humidity control, and high pressure.

Main Findings and Discussion

Integration of automated Z-axis alignment and component recognition significantly reduces setup time between configurations. The EVAC module enhances signal-to-noise ratio by over 95% vacuum path coverage. High-temperature and low-temperature chambers deliver homogeneous sample heating/cooling with minimal gradients. The non-ambient control unit (CCU) centralizes temperature and gas management, while sample spinning options improve statistical reliability and mitigate preferred orientation effects.

Benefits and Practical Applications

Key advantages of the XRDynamic 500 platform include:

• Rapid switching among measurement modes without manual realignment.
• High-throughput screening of mixed sample types via automated sample changers.
• Enhanced data quality for minor phase detection, residual stress analysis, PDF and SWAXS studies thanks to vacuum background reduction.
• In situ investigations of phase transitions, solid-state reactions, humidity- and temperature-induced structural changes across industrial, pharmaceutical, and materials science fields.

Future Trends and Potential Applications

Emerging needs for in situ and operando XRD, combined XRD/SAXS experiments, and real-time monitoring of dynamic processes will drive further integration of modular sample environments and robotics. Advances in detector technology and AI-guided alignment may enable fully unattended experiments and immediate data interpretation for process control and materials discovery.

Conclusion

The XRDynamic 500 system offers a comprehensive suite of sample stages and non-ambient attachments, delivering flexibility, automation, and superior data quality for a wide range of XRD applications. Its modular design and intelligent alignment routines streamline workflows across research and QA/QC laboratories.

Reference

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