Small Angle X Ray Scattering

Small Angle X-Ray Scattering

Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) enables to measure structural features on length scales from 1 nm up to several hundred nanometers by analyzing the scattering pattern at very low angles from the direct X-ray beam. The technique is used in various applications to get access to different parameters such as polymer molecular weight and supra molecular structure, pore's size distribution and shapes in colloids.

X-ray beam configurations

Depending on the requirements on intensity and resolution, different X-ray beam configurations can be used. Compact 1-dimensional SAXS systems with line focus sealed tubes coupled to 1D multilayer optics are highly efficient and cost effective solutions for isotropic sample analysis. Anisotropic samples require 2-dimensional SAXS systems using 2 or 3 pinhole collimation and integrating 2D multilayer optics. The scale of observable features depends strongly on the quality of the beam irradiating the sample and typically a collimated or slightly focusing monochromatic beam is used to achieve high intensity at high resolutions (low scattering angles or high length scales in the real space).

Xenocs offer for high performance SAXS installations

Xenocs FOX 3D optics and GeniX 3D beam delivery system product lines are recognized as a very efficient and cost effective solution for upgrading SAXS installations. It enables to achieve very low values of qmin (minimum scattering vector) while providing high flux to the sample and low background.

FOX 3D optics are adapted to all standard set-up including rotating anodes and sealed tubes (point or line sources) installations.

GeniX 3D beam delivery system can be associated with Xenocs scatterless collimation solution in order to achieve the best performance in an upgrade of an existing installation or as part of a complete custom system designed by Xenocs according to customer specifications.

Customer feedback

Please have a look at the application notes below to learn more through customer cases about the performance of our products for your application including a comparison with other set-ups.

Small angle X-ray scattering

File	Title
	One shot saxs/waxs of heavy atoms solution scattering [10/2009]
	GeniX beam delivery system successfully tested for SAXS applications [07/2007]
	Application of low divergence SAXS on crude oil research [10/2009]