Day 23 - Case studies

It the penultimate day of the Diamond Industrial Liaison advent calendar, day 23! Case studies are a fantastic way of showcasing the remarkable research that takes place here at Diamond. Below are a selection of recent case studies but there are lots more which you can find here....

In the chemical industry and industrial research, catalysis plays a vital role. Catalysts are in constant development to fulfil economic, political and environmental demands. Gaining valuable new information about the atomicnanoscale chemical structure, coupled with information about the micro-distribution of such species, has applications across a wide range of disciplines such as materials, biomedical, environmental, and geophysical sciences. 

In the first experiment of its kind, teams from BASF, UCL & Diamond used a combination of microfocus X-ray Fluorescence and X-ray Diffraction Computed Tomography (μ-XRF-CT and μ-XRD-CT) to identify where Pt and Mo Metals are located in NanoSelectTM catalysts.

Read more...

The quality of ice cream is considered to depend on the size of constituent air cells and ice crystals, the smaller and rounder the better. Product quality and shelf life can be strongly affected by the temperature variations that can commonly occur during storage and distribution, including by the end consumer.

The unique qualities of the beamlines here at Diamond allowed researchers to study how processing conditions and ingredients affect the taste of ice cream, helping them to better understand their product.

Read more...

Influenza viruses altogether affect 5%-10% of the adult population and 20-30% of children each year. These annual epidemics are estimated to result in about approximately 3 to 5 million cases of severe illness, leading to between 250,000 to 500,000 deaths around the world. Researchers have used Diamond to map a polymerase which is key to the virus’s ability to replicate.  A better understanding of its structure means a better understanding of how it works, ultimately leading to the creation of drugs that can prevent the virus spreading.

Read more...

Uranium (U) metal, attached to Magnox cladding and removed from spent fuel prior to reprocessing, is a key component of the UK’s intermediate level waste (ILW). It is encapsulated in grout and sealed within stainless steel canisters in preparation for interim storage and eventual disposal. Understanding corrosion processes that may occur in these U-containing waste canisters is critical to ensuring the safe long term containment of this ILW (>100 years).

The researchers worked with Diamond scientists to develop special containment and encapsulation protocols to allow measurements of active samples.The experiments have demonstrated that it is possible to use a combination of synchrotron tomography and diffraction to observe the evolution of corrosion products of U samples encapsulated in grout in a non-invasive manner.

Read more...

We’re always happy to discuss any enquiries or talk about ways in which access to Diamond’s facilities may be beneficial to your business so please do give us a call on 01235 778797 or send us an e-mail. You can keep in touch with the latest development by following us on Twitter @DiamondILO orLinkedIn.