As mentioned in the specifications of the ICSM, scattering and spectroscopy techniques using X-rays, neutron and light are needed to investigate new materials for nuclear, ionic separation, catalysis etc.. They should allow to analyze the structure of more or less organized matter in submicron down to sub-nanometer scales.
This type of instrumentation covers a very broad field of research and like for microscopies there is no single device which is optimized in terms of resolution. A first choice comes from the fact that one must take into account the access to major national and international large facilities (SOLEIL, ESRF, LLB, ILL ...) and so build in laboratory some equipments that will justify the proposals requests on large facilities (with higher flux and higher resolution). That is why we have installed at ICSM, 2 x-ray equipments and light scattering benches
A diffractometer 8 keV and a bench of small scattering angles for accessing molecular and supramolecular scales. A goniometer for light scattering (634 nm) and a second harmonic generation bench for liquid/liquid interface analysis.
This SAXS equipment operates with a molybdenum x-ray source(17 keV) and is complementary to other existing equipment at UM2. It allows to study materials containing heavy elements found in many nuclear materials or reprocessing system.
These equipments are opened to scientists of the institute and other laboratories in the Languedoc-Roussillon region.
