AGES: Automated Gas Environment System for in situ neutron powder diffraction

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemistry
• Physics

Background:

• Modern neutron and synchrotron sources facilitate in situ and operando studies.
• Real-time chemical processes often require controlled high temperatures and gas flow.
• Powder diffraction beamlines enable the study of material structures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe an integrated gas handling system for powder diffraction.
• To enable the study of material structural evolution under various conditions.
• To showcase the versatility of the new system.

Main Methods:

• Development of the Automated Gas Environment System (AGES) for the Powgen beamline.
• AGES controls gas flow, temperature (RT to 850 °C), and measures oxygen partial pressure.
• Concurrent neutron powder diffraction, mass spectrometry, and gas analysis were performed.

Main Results:

• AGES successfully elucidated oxygen transport pathways in solid oxide fuel cell materials (PrBaCo2O5+δ, NdBaCo2O5+δ) at high temperatures and varying oxygen pressures.
• The system determined optimal compositions for oxygen storage in La1-xSrxFeO3 by analyzing oxygen stoichiometry under alternating gas flows.
• Demonstrated the capability to study materials under diverse and extreme conditions.

Conclusions:

• The Automated Gas Environment System (AGES) is a versatile tool for in situ materials research using neutron powder diffraction.
• AGES allows for detailed investigation of material behavior under controlled gas and thermal environments.
• This system advances the understanding of materials for applications like solid oxide fuel cells and oxygen storage.