InSitX is a world-first x-ray facility with synchrotron-like capabilities that provides unprecedented capacity to explore the structures of new materials outside of a synchrotron.
Located at Deakin University’s Waurn Ponds campus, InSitX is focussed on the application and development of new in-situ and in-operando X-ray experiments to realise material design and discovery. The facility has also been designed to interface with the Australian Synchrotron by enabling ‘off‐line’ development of complex X‐ray experiments prior to accessing limited synchrotron beam time.
How it works
The facility is equipped with an ultra-high brightness liquid metal jet X-ray source. Comprising of two beamlines with small and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS-WAXS), diffraction and microcomputer tomography (Micro-CT), dedicated to in-situ and ex-situ material characterisation.
Beamline I is a highly collimated, high brightness microfocus X-ray source for SAXS-WAXS metrology of crystalline and semi-crystalline materials. Beamline II is a custom made high-energy, high-brightness micro-focus X-ray source to enable rapid (reflection and transmission) based experiments on metallic samples that supporting additive manufacturing and sustainable alloy development. This beamline also offers X-ray Micro-CT capability at unprecedented data collection speeds. Speciality areas include multi-modal laboratory characterisation offering Micro-CT with superimposed Scattering/Diffraction capacity. This is a unique new tool to map material strength by direct correlation of morphology and microstructure.
Small and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS-WAXS)
Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) is an established method for structural characterisation of samples at resolutions between 1 nm and 1000 nm. SAXS is sensitive to both ordered and dis-ordered features in the sample and it does not require crystallisation, fixation, or vitrification procedures.
In a SAXS experiment, a collimated, monochromatic X-ray beam hits the sample and the radiation scattered at low angles (typically a few degrees of 2 theta) is recorded by a detector, which is located at a large sample to detector distance, up to 1.8m. IN contrast, wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) data is collected with a short sample to detector distance to cover the wide-angle scattering signal from crystalline materials.
X-ray diffraction
InSitX houses two bulk X-ray diffraction instruments (Panalytical X’Pert powder and MRD). Both are equipped with a copper X-ray source. These instruments are fitted with line and point focus optics to collect conventional high-resolution XRD measurements, as well as glancing incidence, residual stress and texture measurements.
Correlative X-ray Microscopy
Correlative X-ray microscopy is achieved by the integration of Wide-angle X-ray scattering with Micro-CT techniques, enabling both structure and morphology material characterisation.
The high-resolution Micro-CT instrument is equipped with a transmission Tungsten microfocus X-ray source with multiple detector options to support different resolution modes according to sample format requirements.
Micro-computed tomography
In-situ Micro-CT testing provides insight into the internal morphology and behaviour of materials under dynamic loading conditions. By combining imaging and dynamic loading, we offer a platform for 3D analysis of materials deformation behaviour, damage evolution and failure mechanisms.
Overview of Laue Methodology
Our custom single crystal diffraction setup is designed to take full advantage of the polychromatic nature of the X-ray source. This setup can interact with an individual grain (or crystal) and produce multiple reflections that satisfy Bragg’s Law. These multiple reflections provide detailed information about crystal orientation and strain, all without the need to rotate the sample.
Our liquid Metal Jet provides X-rays with a brightness more than an order of magnitude higher than a regular microfocus X-ray source. The Metal Jet source is highly adaptable to our research needs, with a turntable bandpass (8-70keV) and a probe size that can be varied between 20 and 200 µm. This adaptability allows us to perform dynamic tests by application of an external load both at room and elevated temperatures.
How InSitX reveals what materials do under stress
Step inside the Deakin Institute for Frontier Materials and meet Associate Professor Peter Lynch, Director of Deakin’s InsitX X-ray facility.
Industry and research applications
The scope of the facility spans a diverse range of applications in support of new material design with improved performance and functionality. Importantly, material understanding and processing properties are accelerated by the application of fast in-situ test platforms developed in-house. Multi-modal X-ray characterisation utilising diffraction, scattering and imaging modalities support a wide span of research themes. Some of these examples include:
- Fast metal alloy characterisation and development
- New energy storage materials
- Improving material functionality in fibres and textiles
- Material lifetime assessment by in-situ dynamic measurements
- Streamlined material and process testing based on non-destructive testing
Partnerships
InSitX has long-term partnerships with:
- DST Group
- CSIRO
- Boeing
- ANSTO – Australian Synchrotron
Publications
Recent x-ray related publications include:
- Scalable Manufacturing of Free-Standing, Strong Ti3C2Tx MXene Films with Outstanding Conductivity
- Additive-Free MXene Liquid Crystals and Fibers
- Applications of X-Ray-Based Characterization in MXene Research
- Grain scale bursts of plasticity in Mg-4Zn via high energy X-rays: Towards twin observation in real-time
- Effect of C on microstructure and strength of AlxCu0.14CrFeMnNi-Towards producing a recycled high entropy alloy
- In-situ X-ray diffraction studies of slip and twinning in the presence of precipitates in AZ91 alloy
- Wet Twisting in Spinning for Rapid and Cost-Effective Fabrication of Superior Carbon Nanotube Yarns
- Stress relaxations during cyclic loading-unloading in precipitation hardened Mg-4.5Zn
- Revisiting Precipitation kinetics in Mg-Zn alloy – a multi-characterization and modeling study
- Work hardening and the scratch resistance of Ni–Co alloys using a rapid prototyping approach
- Influence of precipitation on tension and compression twinning in Mg-6.5Zn alloy
