Microbeam small angle X-ray scattering (μSAXS): a novel technique for the characterization of activated carbon fibers

Abstract

Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) technique offers a number of advantages for the characterization of porous materials. At the microfocus beamline (ID13) in the “European Synchrotron Radiation Facility” (Grenoble) there are available X-ray microbeams with sizes down to 2 μm and a position-resolved scattering set-up (Microfocus Beamline, ID13). This experimental technique (μSAXS) has allowed to study single activated carbon fibers by Small angle X-ray scattering, instead of fiber bundles, and to analyze the porosity development across the fiber diameter. In addition, the use of an area detector (MAR-CCD) permits to obtain the two-dimensional scattering patterns, which have been used to detect anisotropic features related to the porosity development. In the present work, some examples corresponding to the first μSAXS experiments done with single activated carbon fibers (ACFs) are presented to show the usefulness of this technique.