Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 7, 2026
07:26
Synthesis and Microdiffraction at Extreme Pressures and Temperatures
Published on: October 7, 2013
11.5K
An experimental system for time-resolved x-ray diffraction of deforming silicate melt at high temperature
Satoshi Okumura1, Kentaro Uesugi2, Tatsuya Sakamaki1
1Division of Earth and Planetary Materials Science, Department of Earth Science, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8578, Japan.
The Review of Scientific Instruments
|October 2, 2020
Summary
Investigating silicate melt rheology, this study used time-resolved X-ray diffraction (XRD) to observe atomic-scale changes during shear. No significant structural changes were found during brittle failure or viscous elongation of soda-lime melt.
Area of Science:
- Geophysics
- Materials Science
- Physical Chemistry
Background:
- Silicate melt rheology is crucial for understanding volcanic eruption dynamics.
- Previous studies identified non-Newtonian behavior in melts at high shear rates.
- The link between macroscopic rheology and atomic-scale behavior under shear is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate atomic-scale structural changes in silicate melts under shear using a novel experimental setup.
- To correlate macroscopic rheological behavior with microscopic structural evolution.
- To explore the behavior of soda-lime melt during fiber elongation experiments.
Main Methods:
- Development of a time-resolved X-ray diffraction (XRD) system at high temperatures.
- Utilizing a synchrotron radiation X-ray beamline (SPring-8, BL20XU) with a specialized deformation apparatus and heating furnace.
- Conducting fiber elongation experiments on soda-lime melt at varying temperatures (595°C and 620°C) and observing XRD patterns every 100 milliseconds.
Main Results:
- Soda-lime melt exhibited brittle failure at 595°C and viscous elongation at 620°C.
- XRD patterns showed no discernible structural changes immediately preceding brittle failure.
- A decrease in XRD pattern intensity was observed during viscous elongation, without significant shape variation.
Conclusions:
- Atomic-scale structure, as observed by XRD, appears stable during both elastic and viscous elongation of soda-lime melt.
- The developed experimental system provides a new avenue for studying melt behavior under shear.
- Future applications will focus on more complex and natural silicate melts.
Related Concept Videos
02:18X-ray Crystallography
The size of the unit cell and the arrangement of atoms in a crystal may be determined from measurements of the diffraction of X-rays by the crystal, termed X-ray crystallography.
Diffraction
Diffraction is the change in the direction of travel experienced by an electromagnetic wave when it encounters a physical barrier whose dimensions are comparable to those of the wavelength of the light. X-rays are electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths about as long as the distance between neighboring...
Diffraction
Diffraction is the change in the direction of travel experienced by an electromagnetic wave when it encounters a physical barrier whose dimensions are comparable to those of the wavelength of the light. X-rays are electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths about as long as the distance between neighboring...
01:10X-ray Diffraction of Biological Samples
X-ray diffraction or XRD is an analytical tool that utilizes X-rays to study ordered structures such as crystalline organic and inorganic samples, polycrystalline materials, proteins, carbohydrates, and drugs.
According to Bragg's law, when X-rays strike the sample positioned on a stage, the rays are scattered by the electron clouds around the sample atoms. The X-ray diffraction or scattering is caused by constructive interference of the X-ray waves that reflect off the internal crystal...
According to Bragg's law, when X-rays strike the sample positioned on a stage, the rays are scattered by the electron clouds around the sample atoms. The X-ray diffraction or scattering is caused by constructive interference of the X-ray waves that reflect off the internal crystal...
01:29Determination of Crystal Structures
In the late 1800s, the revelation that light extended beyond visible wavelengths led to the discovery of X-rays by Wilhelm Roentgen. Recognized as high-energy electromagnetic radiation with short wavelengths, X-rays prompted exploration into their interaction with crystals. Max von Laue proposed in 1912 that the periodic arrangement of atoms, ions, or molecules in crystals would cause them to diffract X-rays, a hypothesis confirmed through experiments with copper sulfate and zinc sulfide...