RES | the School for Renewable Energy Science

Research facilities

RES Material Science Lab is based at the Borgir Research and InnovationBuilding in Akureyri. Two advanced X-ray instruments (XRF and XRD) as well as instrument for sample preparation were installed in the Lab last fall (both purchased by a grant from RANNIS). The new grant will be used to buy additional equipment for sample preparation, including a jaw crusher and tungsten carbide grinding vessel, as well as a state-of-the-art polarizing petrographic microscope for both transmitted and reflected light. RES’s Material Science Lab is an important addition to research and teaching facilities at RES. The Lab is useful in material research and for process control and provides high performance chemical analysis of metallurgical, mineralogical, and various geological samples. The new equipment increases the overall ability of the Lab to perform a large number of high-quality chemical and structural analyses in a short period of time. Additional information is provided by Dr. Hrefna Kristmannsdottir, Coordinator for the Geothermal Energy Concentration at RES.

Bruker S4 Pioneer XRF The S4 PIONEER is the most compact 4 kW wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (WDXRF) dedicated to serve all applications with need for high performance and high sample throughput. The S4 PIONEER with advanced 4 kW excitation technology provides highest sensitivity esp. for light elements and traces due to optimized beam geometry. Improved analytical performance for light elements is guaranteed with the very thin Beryllium tube window in combination with optimized excitation parameters. Up to 10 primary beam filters, up to 4 collimators, up to 8 crystals, there is no limitation in analytical flexibility; there is no compromise in analytical performance: Real high end wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (WDXRF). The S4 PIONEER is simple in operation: The Integrated Analytical Intelligence (IAI) of SPECTRA plus, the analytical X-ray fluorescence (XRF) software solution for calibration, evaluation and reporting, offers easy start-up for own calibrations guiding the operator through all steps, providing optimized measurement parameters and allows easy routine operation. The integrated standardless evaluation for all kind of samples like rocks, minerals, metals, hydrocarbons and all kind of industrial products allows the fast and easy determination of element concentrations from 100% down to the ppm-level without performing a calibration.

Bruker D8 Advance XRD The capabilities of D8 Advance x-ray diffractometer for powder XRD applications reach far into other realms of x-ray diffraction. Facilitating more than 10,000 possible combinations of different x-ray sources, optics, sample stages, and detectors, the optimal configuration can always be reached. In addition, the modular design of the D8 ADVANCE enables an easy and straightforward change of configuration. The analytical capabilities can be expanded or simplified. A simple system can be purchased now and upgraded later, allowing for a perfectly cost-efficient x-ray diffraction system. The push-plug optics of the D8 ADVANCE enables a quick switch between the para-focusing Bragg-Brentano geometry to parallel beam geometry without realignment of the system. For the “cut above” standard powder diffraction, the D8 ADVANCE with Vario1 Johansson focusing monochromator features high-flux K-alpha-1 radiation for reflection as well as for foil or capillary transmission experiments. The sample stage concept of the D8 ADVANCE allows for many different sample environments. These range from 10 K Helium closed-cycle cryostats up to non-ambient sample conditions with high temperature and humidity. For ambient conditions, the flip-stick sample stage and the auto changer provide the capability of measuring a batch of up to 90 samples in transmission as well as in reflection geometry. Detector technology is an important core competence of Bruker AXS. This means that the D8 ADVANCE can be equipped with the full range of point and linear detectors. According to the analytical requirements, the user can choose between different types of dynamic scintillation counter, energy dispersive Sol-X, or the Super Speed VANTEC-1. D8 ADVANCE has the ability to perform a full range of applications, from qualitative and quantitative phase identification, under ambient or non ambient conditions, to crystal structure solution from powder samples, crystallite size determination, micro strain analysis, residual stress analysis, and preferred orientation.