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Updated: May 12, 2026

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Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets
Published on: May 15, 2017
Discrimination of liquids by a focal construct X-ray diffraction geometry
Danae Prokopiou1, Keith Rogers, Paul Evans
1Department of Engineering & Applied Science Cranfield University, Shrivenham Campus, Swindon, UK.
Summary
A new X-ray diffraction technique using focal construct technology (FCT) reliably distinguishes liquids for security screening. This method effectively identifies potential threat liquids, even with limited data.
Area of Science:
- Applied Physics
- Materials Science
- Security Technology
Background:
- Liquid security screening presents challenges in accurately identifying hazardous substances.
- Existing methods may lack efficiency or reliability in discriminating between benign and threat liquids.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce and evaluate a novel technique for liquid discrimination using X-ray diffraction and focal construct technology (FCT).
- To assess the capability of FCT in identifying liquids relevant to security inspection.
Main Methods:
- Utilized X-ray diffraction in conjunction with focal construct technology (FCT), a high-efficiency coherent scatter harvesting technique.
- Analyzed a diverse range of liquids pertinent to security applications.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated the successful and reliable discrimination of various liquids using FCT.
- Achieved accurate threat liquid identification even when analyzing limited data sets.
Conclusions:
- Focal construct technology (FCT) shows significant promise for effective liquid security inspection.
- The developed X-ray diffraction-based method offers a reliable approach for identifying potential threat liquids.
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