SAXS: environmental
Fine-grained particles are ubiquitous in the terrestrial, marine and atmospheric environments. They are a major constituent of soils, form colloidal suspensions in oceans and lakes, and are a major component of atmospheric aerosols and pollutants. Their abundance, high surface area, reactivity and colloidal characteristics mean that they play an important role within many processes occurring in the natural environment including chemical weathering, bio-mineralization, and pollutant transport.Shape, size and growth rates are fundamental metrics for the study of mineral or pollutant particles and their hydrolysis reaction products. Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) is the only technique which can provide this information when the particles are suspended in solution and on the timescales associated with particle formation. SAXS data can also be used to provide information about the environment of toxic materials adsorbed onto surfaces.
Rigaku offers a choice of SAXS solutions, from the dedicated 2D-SAXS capable S-Max3000 to the powerful and flexible Ultima IV and the exceptionally easy-to-use SmartLab®.