One of the first projects to be completed as part of the Endeavour programme, HRPD-X is a significant upgrade to the existing
high-resolution powder diffractometer, setting the benchmark for similar instruments world-wide. Research areas include materials for gas separation, encapsulation and purification, including greenhouse gas management or hydrogen economy.
Technique: High resolution powder diffraction
Contact: Dominic Fortes
Why do we need HRPD-X?
To expand the current instrument’s user base into new research areas and maintaining its position as a world-leading facility for high resolution powder diffraction using neutrons. HRPD-X will provide detailed information on clean growth materials such as MOFs and zeolites in line with the delivery of Net Zero, the green industrial revolution and the UK’s hydrogen strategy. HRPD-X has applications in gas separation, encapsulation and purification, for example for greenhouse management or the hydrogen economy.
What is the overall aim of the upgrade?
Retain very high resolution and increase detector coverage so measurements are faster and can measure currently inaccessible materials.
What are the unique capabilities or reasons behind the upgrade?
HRPD is already unique due to it's very high resolution, but the higher detector coverage will make it the best of its kind in the world.
How does the research enabled by the new instrument contribute to sustainability goals?
High resolution and extended detector coverage would enable measurement of, for example, metal organic frameworks used for carbon capture.
How will sustainability be considered in the design and construction of the instrument?
The construction of new building is designed to save energy and limit climate impact through:
- Heat pumps for temperature control in meeting rooms
- Air conditioning at highest possible temperature that still allows electronics to function
- Reclad tunnel connecting HRPD to the target station for better temperature control and insulation
Watch Professor Stephen Skinner from Imperial College London talk about HRPD-X and the opportunities for Clean Growth:
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Technical Success Criteria
• Increase count rates by factor 6 with minimal effect on Δd/d resolution for the backscattering bank.
• Enhance detector coverage to provide access to a wider d-spacing range up to 44Å (compared with 17Å at present), and to ensure that gaps in coverage that emerge when using longer time-of-flight windows are eliminated.
• Retain existing nominal beam size – 40 mm high x 20 mm wide.
• Retain existing incident wavelength range – 0.5 – 11 Å.
• Detector pitch matched with smallest sample dimensions (3 mm)
• Achieve a comparable or higher Δd/d resolution in each detector bank despite large increases in 2θ coverage.
