Neutron Scattering Laboratory Research Articles

Neutron tomography study of a lithium-ion coin battery

Neutron imaging of lithium-ion coin cell battery was obtained using tomography technique at Neutron Scattering Laboratory in Multi-Purpose Research Reactor G. A. Siwabessy (RSG-GAS) Serpong facility. The coin cell battery was CR2032 (20d x 3.2t mm) type consisted of positive and negative cases made of stainless steel, a cathode layer from lithium Ferro phosphate coated on aluminum foil, polyethylene film as separator, lithium hexafluorophosphate solution in ethylene carbonate and diethyl carbonate as electrolyte, an anode layer from graphite coated on copper foil, and spacer as well as spring made of stainless steel. The neutron tomography was used to observe the inside structure of the full charged coin cell. The observation was carried out with a neutron flux of 107 n/s.cm2 at 15 MWatt of reactor power. The image of the object is obtained by a Charge Coupled Detector (CCD) and the reconstruction software based on a filtered back-projection algorithm. The neutron imaging clearly shows the cell structure inside the casing. Even though the cell is not at the center of the casing, but it appears that the cell component consists of a cathode, separator and anode neatly arranged. The cross-cut image shows the important role of spring and spacer in improving the contact between cell and casing. The results showed the ability of neutron tomography techniques at RSG-GAS to investigate in detail the inside structure of a coin battery without disassembly (non-destructive test).

Neutron diffraction study on Li3PO4 solid electrolyte for lithium ion battery

The solid electrolyte, Li3PO4 has been prepared by a wet chemical reaction. The crystal structure of Li3PO4 was measured at room temperature by a high resolution powder diffraction (HRPD) at the Neutron Scattering Laboratory, National Nuclear Energy Agency (BATAN), Indonesia. Another series of neutron data at 3 K and 300 K were measured by an ECHIDNA at Australian Center for Neutron Scattering, ANSTO, Australia. Based on how neutron and X-rays interact with matter, it is also important to perform the x-ray diffraction on Li3PO4. The purpose is to understand the insight crystal structure of Li3PO4 from two different methods. Both refinement results showed that crystal structure belong to the β-Li3PO4 with orthorhombic phase P m n 21 (31), with the lattice parameters are a = 6.1168 Å, b = 5.2498 Å, c = 4.8723 Å. Fourier method employed to reveal the main difference between neutron and X-rays sources. It is clearly shown that Li atom is visible to neutron. The negative scattering length of Li (−1.90) gave a negative intensity in the neutron Fourier map. In contrast to neutron, X-Ray interacts with electron gave a positive intensity but the heavy atom P dominates the intensity due to its high number of electron. The neutron can provide more detail in the structure information. By comparing the 300 K data with data 3 K, the Li-ions diffusion can be observed from the neutron Fourier maps, and the Li-ions elongation pathway can be seen from the 3-D structure model. It can be concluded here that neutron is an indispensable tool to observe the lithium ion battery materials.

Development of Data Acquisition and Measurement Software for Neutron Triple Axis Spectrometer at BATAN-Serpong, Indonesia

The Neutron Scattering Laboratory at the National Nuclear Energy Agency of Indonesia (BATAN) possesses several neutron beam instruments for materials science research. One of the instruments is a neutron triple-axis spectrometer (TAS). Due to the malfunction of the main computer, the original main control system had to be replaced with a new one. For this reason, a new data acquisition and measurement software program based on GNU C++ programming language was developed for restoring the spectrometer's functionality. However, using the resulting control system, triple-axis mode experiments were very difficult to perform and their types that can be performed were limited. In order to conduct the experiments more effectively and efficiently, several improvements in both hardware and software have been developed. The Visual Basic programming language was used in developing the data acquisition and measurement software that makes it possible for all motors to move simultaneously, so that the time spent for the experiments is reduced significantly. Also, programmable motor controller cards were used for driving all the 23 motors of the instrument. All the 23 axes can be controlled by clicking the appropriate buttons or inputting text command in the main window of the software's user interface. The software has also been used to perform an elastic experiment, as well as an inelastic experiment for investigating the phenomenon of phonon. The software developed is more user friendly than the older ones, since the spectrometer status and the experiment results can be displayed in real time at the windows, and it also makes experiments more effective and efficient since the experiments can be automated and run without any user intervention until the experiments finish. /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:Table Normal; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:; mso-padding-alt:0mm 5.4pt 0mm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0mm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:Calibri,sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:ＭＳ 明朝; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:Times New Roman; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}

NANOSIZE STRUCTURE OF SELF-ASSEMBLY SODIUM DODECYL SULFATE: A STUDY BY SMALL ANGLE NEUTRON SCATTERING (SANS)

Small Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS) investigation on the self-assembly sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) molecules as a function of concentration and additives has been carried out. SANS spectrometer which has been completely installed at the neutron scattering laboratory (NSL) BATAN in Serpong, Indonesia has played most important role to determine the growth (size) and also the shapes of a micelle structure. In this works we report that spherical micelle structure with a radius of 16.7 Å will transform to ellipsoidal or rod-like micelle structure with the long axis extends up to 50 Å by increasing the concentration of SDS. Similar to that the micelle structures change by addition of salt in SDS micellar solutions. Keywords: nanostructure, micelle, self-assembly

Improved performances of 36 m small-angle neutron scattering spectrometer BATAN in Serpong Indonesia

SMARTer, a 36 m small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) spectrometer owned by the National Nuclear Energy Agency of Indonesia (BATAN) was installed at the Neutron Scattering Laboratory (NSL) in Serpong, Indonesia. Lots of works on replacing, upgrading and improving the control system, experimental methods, data collection and reduction in the last two years have been carried out to optimize the performance of SMARTer. Some standard samples such as silver behenate, monodisperse polystyrene nanoparticle, porous silica and block copolymer PS-PEP film were measured for the inter-laboratory comparison.

SMARTer for magnetic structure studies

SMARTer, a 36-meter small angle neutron scattering (SANS) spectrometer was installed at the Neutron Scattering Laboratory (NSL), National Nuclear Energy Agency of Indonesia — BATAN in Serpong, Indonesia and has performed the experiment for studying the magnetic structures of Cu(NiFe), CuCo and FeSiBNbCu metal alloys. The experiments were conducted at room temperature and up to 1 T (10 kOe) of external magnetic field. At zero fields, isotropic scattering identified as nuclear scattering is dominant. When a magnetic field is applied in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the neutron beam, the response of the magnetic scattering permits extraction of the field-induced re-arrangement of the magnetic moment. With increasing field the distortion is more pronounced and the magnetic scattering dominates the intensity and affects the peak position. Radial and angular averaging from experimental data are given to show the details of magnetic structures.

Small angle neutron scattering experiments on solid electrolyte (AgI) x (AgPO3)1−x

Superionic conductor glasses have generated considerable technological interest in the applications such as batteries, fuel cell, sensors, etc. In AgPO3 glass doped by AgI, (AgI) x (AgPO3)1−x , small size of AgI clusters were formed and dispersed in the AgPO3 glass. The size of clusters in the sample depends on the AgI content and influences the electrical properties of the sample. To understand the microscopic structure, in particular the shape and size of the clusters, a series of small angle neutron scattering experiment on (AgI) x (AgPO3) x with x = 0.0, 0.5, and 0.7 were performed at the Neutron Scattering Laboratory–National Nuclear Energy Agency, Indonesia. By assuming the clusters are spherical, a radius of gyration R g of the clusters was determined from a Guinier plot. As there are different clusters sizes in the samples, a polydisperse model is also used to analyze the data. The results show that the average radius of clusters dispersed in (AgI) x (AgPO3)1−x samples with x = 0.0, 0.5, and 0.7 are around 236.2, 252.6, and 257.5 A, respectively.

Performance of the 36 m small-angle neutron scattering spectrometer at BATAN, Serpong, Indonesia

A 36 m small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) spectrometer (SMARTer) has been installed at the end of a 49 m long neutron guide tube and located in the neutron guide hall at the Neutron Scattering Laboratory (NSL), Serpong, Indonesia. At present, this is the largest SANS spectrometer in the Asia–Pacific region and consists of an 18 m long tube collimation system and another 18 m long tube to accommodate a 128 × 128 3He two-dimensional position-sensitive detector. The detector can be moved continuously from 1.5 to 18 m and can be shifted laterally by 0.1 m to cover a large range of Q, where Q is the magnitude of the scattering vector given by Q = (4\pi /\lambda) \sin (\theta /2), θ is the scattering angle and λ is the wavelength. By selecting the rotational speed of the velocity selector, the incident thermal neutron beam will have a wavelength λ in the range 3–6 A and a Q range of 0.002–0.6 A−1. The maximum neutron flux at the sample position is 4 × 106 neutrons cm−2 s−1. Measurements of some standard samples using SMARTer are reported for inter-laboratory comparisons that show, for the first time, how SMARTer's capabilities compare with those of other prominent SANS instruments.

Apparatus for Small-Angle Neutron Scattering and Rheological Measurements under Sheared Conditions.

We report on details of an apparatus constructed for the simultaneous small angle neutron scattering and rheological measurements under various sheared conditions. In addition to studies under steady (shear rate range; order of 10-3 - 103 sec -1) and oscillatory (frequency range; order of 10-3 -102 rad/sec) shear flows, other tests such as creep, stress relaxation, etc. can be performed for a wide variety of complex fluids. Moreover, because of its design, the apparatus itself has flexibility for further modification. It is now open to users as a permanent equipment of SANS-U spectrometer of Neutron Scattering Laboratory, ISSP, The University of Tokyo, at JAERI Tokai, Japan.

Neutron scattering activities at JRR-3M

We report on the current status of the neutron scattering instrumentation and activities at the refurbished research reactor JRR-3M at the Tokai Research Establishment of the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI). The instruments have been installed by the neutron scattering groups of JAERI, the Institute for Solid State Physics (ISSP) of the Univ. of Tokyo, the Physics Department and Materials Research Institute (MRI) of the Tohoku Univ. (TOHOKU) and the Kyoto Univ. Reactor (KUR). The Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture (MONBUSHO), responsible for the research activities at the national universities, has designated the Neutron Scattering Laboratory (NSL) of ISSP to organize the national universities' user research activities on the instruments of the latter three institutions. The JAERI instruments, the operation of which is approved by Science and Technology Agency (STA), are accessible for outside users on the basis of collaboration in accordance with the JAERI research projects institutions. The JAERI instruments, the operation of which is approved by Science and Technology Agency (STA), are accessible for outside users on the basis of collaboration in accordance with the JAERI research projects.institutions. The JAERI instruments, the operation of which is approved by Science and Technology Agency (STA), are accessible for outside users on the basis of collaboration in accordance with the JAERI research projects. Institutions. The JAERI instruments, the operation of which is approved by Science and Technology Agency (STA), are accessible for outside users on the basis of collaboration in accordance with the JAERI research projects.