Multipurpose Diffractometer XRD

Padua Facilities - X-ray Diffractometer

PADUA FACILITIES

Overview

The diffractometer is equipped with a theta-theta goniometer with a 240 mm radius and a Cu X-ray tube. The instrument allows for the collection of wide-angle diffraction data (WAXS) and small-angle (SAXS) on massive, powder, thin film, and epitaxial materials in both reflection and transmission.

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The data collected are fundamental to obtain information on the crystal structure, the microstructure and the thickness of thin layers.

Panalytical Empyrean XRD system.

Technical Specifications & Optics

Incident beam optics: Includes a monochromator mirror to completely remove Cu K-beta radiation.

Programmable divergence slits and masks for the analysis of flat samples.

Parabolic mirror for diffraction experiments on rotating capillaries.

Eulerian Cradle: Available to investigate preferred orientation and residual stress on bulk samples and thin films.

Heating cell (Anton Paar DHS1100): Non-ambient conditions, vacuum, and controlled atmosphere measurements up to 1100 °C.

Proportional detector: Coupled with parallel beam collimator for grazing incidence and reflectometry measurements.

Solid-state 2D detector: 256×256 pixels (3°x3°) for fast data acquisition and Reciprocal Space Mapping (RSM).

Reciprocal space mapping of a GaS oriented layer on a sapphire monocrystal.

Advanced Analysis

The system's flexibility allows for advanced measurements such as Reciprocal Space Mapping (RSM), essential for characterizing high-quality epitaxial layers and complex structures.

IM@IT Research Infrastructure

The diffractometer has recently become part of the IM@IT research infrastructure network. IM@IT is a multidisciplinary project that connects different scientific facilities and brings together research groups in Italy, Europe, and the world.

Launched in 2020 (born from the ISIS@MACH project), IM@IT has already attracted over a hundred users, doubling the participants in the last year.

For further information, please consult the link directly:
View Infrastructure Link

Time-resolved XRD profiles of a phase change material emulsion.

MECHANICAL TESTING LABORATORY

Milano Facilities

Mechanical Testing Laboratory

The Mechanical Testing Laboratory focuses on the experimental evaluation and constitutive modeling of structural and functional materials. We specialize in the characterization of high-performance metal alloys, providing the essential data required for material design, safety assessments, and industrial innovation.

Core Expertise & Strategic Focus

Nuclear Fusion & Fission

With years of experience in EUROfusion activities, our laboratory contributes to the characterization of materials required for future power plants through specialized mechanical testing.

Power Generation

Characterizing nickel-based superalloys and advanced materials for high-efficiency land and aircraft gas turbines.

Advanced Manufacturing

Investigating the Process-Microstructure-Properties correlation to optimize materials from solidification to final product.

Extreme Conditions & Predictive Modeling

Laboratory's activities focus on the correlation between experimental response and the service life of components in operation. The instrumentation allows for testing at temperatures up to 1000 °C, enabling the analysis of combined phenomena such as creep, low-cycle fatigue (LCF), and thermomechanical fatigue (TMF)..

By developing advanced constitutive equations, the research evaluates material behavior under complex stress states and variable loading, providing a basis for structural integrity assessment in critical environments.

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Specialized Testing Families

Tensile Test

Assessment of key tensile parameters including yield point, ultimate tensile strength, and ductility

Technical Details

MayesD50: 2 units up to 50 kN. Capable of tensile, creep, and stress relaxation tests in air up to 1150°C.

Extensometer & LVDT Transducer for high-precision strain recording.

Fatigue & TMF

Evaluation of material endurance under cyclic loading and combined thermal-mechanical stress.

Technical Details

3 servo-hydraulic testing machines (n°1 ±200 kN and n°2 ±100 kN).

n°2 Induction Heating System up to 1150°C.
n°1 Standard Furnace Heating up to 1000°C. (on a 100 kN machine)

Creep & Relaxation

Long-term evaluation of time-dependent deformation and stress reduction at high temperatures.

Technical Details

Creep: 14 units (30 kN) up to 1150°C.

5 machines with double lever ratio 4X + 40X

4 machines with 15X lever ratio

3 machines with 40X lever ratio

2 machines with 20X lever ratio

High-resolution capacitive transducers for strain monitoring.

Relaxation: Denison Mayes D50 electromechanical unit up to 1150°C.

MAX Loading = 50kN
Inductive transducers for strain monitoring.

Materials of Industrial Interest

The laboratory has extensive experience in testing a wide range of advanced alloys over time, focusing on their performance under structural and environmental stress:

Nickel-based superalloys (Polycrystalline / Single crystal)

Intermetallics (TiAl)

Titanium alloys

Oxide-dispersion-strengthened alloys (ODS)

Low & High-alloyed steels

Stainless steels

Iron Cast alloys as ADI

Copper alloys

Creep Focus

Comprehensive evaluation of time-dependent deformation. Our laboratory conducts advanced creep evaluations up to 1000 °C, focusing on the structural integrity of materials for Energy, like Nuclear Fusion (EUROfusion), gas and fission power plants.

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Fatigue & TMF Focus

Advanced Low-Cycle Fatigue (LCF) and Thermomechanical Fatigue (TMF) testing with induction heating up to 1150°C.

In-phase (IP) and Out-of-Phase (OP) cycles.
Real-world start-stop cycle replication.

Full Instrumentation List

Servo-hydraulic: 2 units (200/100 kN) for LCF/TMF (Induction 1150°C).

Standard Fatigue: 1 unit (100 kN) for LCF (1000°C).

Electromechanical: 2 units (50 kN) for Tensile/Relaxation (1150°C).

Creep Bank: 15 specialized machines (30 kN, 1150°C).

Rotating Bending: 2 machines for endurance testing.

Hardness: Vickers, Rockwell and Brinell testers.

Furnaces: 2 Muffle (1200°C) + Naberterm Top 45 (1300°C).

Micro-thermocouples: 25-120 micron preparation setup.

Additional Capabilities

Microstructure characterization

Full Metallographic preparation for post-test microstructural analysis via optical microscopy, SEM with STEM, EDS and EBSD detectors, and XRD instrumentation. Find more info in Microstructure Facilities here.

Industry Services

Technical support for industrial partners focusing on failure analysis and material evaluation according to international standards (ISO/ASTM). Our expertise includes:

ICMATE Milan - Microstructural Analysis Lab

Milan Facilities

Microstructural Analysis Laboratory

CNR-ICMATE microstructural analysis laboratory specializes in the advanced characterization of metallic materials through metallographic preparation techniques and high-resolution microscopy (SEM, STEM, EDS, EBSD) and X-Ray diffractomerty (XRD).

These activities are closely linked to research on high-temperature metallurgy and structural integrity assessment, enabling the study of how materials—such as superalloys and special steels—withstand extreme conditions of thermal and mechanical stress. The primary objective is to understand the correlation between microstructure and performance to ensure safety and efficiency in critical sectors such as energy.

Summary of microstructural characterization and analytical techniques

XRD - X-Ray Diffractometer

The Siemens D500 X-ray Diffractometer at ICMATE-CNR (Milan unit) is a versatile platform for the advanced characterization of metallic alloys and materials in bulk, powder, surface and coating forms.

While retaining its robust mechanical core, the system has been fully retrofitted with modern hardware, control software, and an integrated cooling unit to ensure thermal stability and high signal-to-noise ratios during extended measurement cycles.

Operating in Bragg-Brentano geometry, the instrument is a key asset for phase identification, quantitative analysis, and Residual Stress Analysis (RSA) on both bulk and surface alloys.

Siemens D500 Xray diffractometer: instrumentation structure and retrofit configuration

Bragg-Brentano geometry and sample holder position

Test on fluorescent sample

Some spectra examples

Siemens D500 Xray diffractometer: screenshot of the software system and detected Xray spectra

Padua Facilities - Overview

Padua Facilities

Overview

Photoelectron Spectroscopies (XPS and UPS) are key surface-sensitive techniques widely used in both applied research and industrial development. XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) provides elemental composition and chemical state information, enabling the identification of oxidation states, bonding environments, and surface contamination. It is extensively applied in materials science, catalysis, corrosion studies, semiconductor processing, and thin-film engineering. UPS (ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy) complements XPS by probing the valence band structure and electronic states close to the Fermi level. UPS is a central tool in the development of both inorganic and organic electronics, such as OLEDs, organic photovoltaics, hybrid perovskite-based devices and inorganic solar cells where energy level alignment at interfaces governs performance.

ESCALAB QXi X-ray photoelectron spectrometer system.

Together, XPS and UPS play a strategic role in advancing surface and interface science and materials across catalysis, semiconductors, energy, biomaterials, coatings, corrosion science and nanotechnology.

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Technical Specifications & Optics

ESCALAB QXi X-ray photoelectron spectrometer is a multitechnique-platform for XPS, UPS, REELS and ISS spectroscopies equipped also with a dual mode ion gun for depth profile analysis.

XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) provides the composition of the outer few nanometers of a material detailing and quantifying both the elements present and their chemical states.

XPS Features: MONOCHROMATIC Al/Ag source for large and small area XPS (mm2 – μm2). NON MONOCHROMATIC Al/Mg twin source.

Main Features: Includes magnetic lens, flood gun for charge compensation, ARXPS (Angle Resolved XPS), and XPS parallel imaging (resolution 2-3 μm).

UPS: Ultraviolet Photoelectron Spectroscopy gives information on the valence band and it allows to determine the electronic work function, valence band maximum and ionization potential.

DUAL MODE ION GUN: enables depth profiling of soft materials such as polymers and organic materials using gas cluster ions as well as of hard materials (metals and inorganics) using monatomic ions.

REELS: Reflected Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy is a technique used to probe the electronic structure of the material at the surface (band gap, if > 2.5 eV). In some cases, it is also able to detect hydrogen, which is not possible with XPS.

ISS Spectroscopy: Ion Scattering Spectroscopy is a highly surface-sensitive technique used to probe the elemental composition of the first atomic layer of a surface.

Fitting of the Pt 4f photoemission region for a Pt-based catalyst.

Depth profile of an oxidized Hadfield steel surface.

IM@IT Research Infrastructure

The X-ray photoelectron spectrometer has recently joined the IM@IT research infrastructure network.

IM@IT is a multidisciplinary project that connects different scientific facilities and brings together research groups in Italy, Europe and worldwide. Initiated in 2019 with the ISIS@MACH project and launched in 2020, IM@IT has already attracted over a hundred users, with participants doubling in the last year, showing its potential to give rise to a new generation of collaborative researchers from both academia and industry and to be a game changer in the transformation of the research ecosystem in Italy and abroad.

IM@IT comprises a set of distributed laboratories, with MRFs offering open access tailored to the needs of academia and industrial user communities with appropriate peer review procedures and SRFs offering services.