DMSE Breakerspace
Two-page Quick Guide For trained users. Print on Letter paper at 100%, two-sided, flipping on the long edge.
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DMSE Breakerspace · Trained-user reference

Aeris Research X-Ray Diffractometer

Prepare a flat, level sample, run a stored program, and export both the raw scan and your processed result.

Malvern Panalytical Aeris Research X-ray diffractometer.

What XRD shows

Atomic planes in a crystal scatter X-rays, and at certain angles the scattered waves reinforce each other. The instrument records where those reflections appear across a range of angles (2θ). Peak positions come from atomic-plane spacings and are what identifies a phase — so anything that shifts them, especially sample height, costs you the result.

Select a measurement program

Choose a stored program from the drop-down list; you do not set scan parameters by hand. If none looks right for your sample, ask staff. Budget your reservation for every queued sample plus loading, export, and cleanup — a high-resolution program takes considerably longer than a quick phase-ID scan.

Choose the right holder

Powder, back or front loading → PW1811/00 or PW1811/27 · Odd shapes, fixed with plasticine or wax → PW1812/00 · Metal plates, membranes, pressed pellets → PW1813/26. Panalytical's prep guide in the lab lists every holder type.

Compatible samples

  • Non-hazardous materials only. Powders, plates, pellets, coupons, membranes, and odd solids all have a holder.
  • Grind powders to a few micrometers (roughly 5–10 µm), which also reduces preferred orientation.
  • Grind gently, avoid airborne dust, wear safety glasses, and contain spills. Ask staff about fine, floaty, or irritating powders.
  • Iron- or manganese-bearing samples fluoresce under Cu Kα, raising background and possibly preventing a usable result.

Before you leave the instrument

  • Check that the pattern has peaks and reasonable counts, not a flat trace.
  • Broad humps with no sharp peaks mean an amorphous material — a real result, not a failure.
  • Unexpected extra peaks? Run an empty holder for comparison while you are still here.
  • Weak, smeared, or shifted peaks usually mean sample height or grain size, both fixable by re-preparing now.

Background subtraction, peak search, and database matching happen afterward in HighScore Plus. See Data Processing And Analysis on the instrument page.

Full operating guide: breakerspace.mit.edu/instruments/xrd.html Reviewed 2026-07-31 · Side 1 of 2

DMSE Breakerspace · Aeris Research XRD

Routine trained-user workflow

1 Prepare and start up

  1. Prepare your sample at the sample prep table using the correct holder. Holders and mounting clay are in the black cabinet beside the table.
  2. Load the holder so the sample surface is flat, level, centered, and flush with the reference surface.
  3. Label the holder physically. Plan a descriptive measurement name such as Lastname_sampleID_YYYYMMDD.
  4. Leave at least one changer position empty. Booting with all six occupied causes a startup error.
  5. Confirm the cover is closed and the interlocks are engaged. The mains switch at the rear is normally left on.
  6. Press the power button, then turn the HT keyswitch clockwise to switch on the high-tension generator.

2 Load and queue

  1. Remove the plastic sample-changer cover and place the holder in any free position. Note the slot number.
  2. Replace the plastic cover.
  3. In the software, select the changer position matching the physical slot. A mismatch scans the wrong slot or an empty one.
  4. Choose a measurement program from the drop-down list.
  5. Enter the sample name and edit the file name as needed.
  6. Start the measurement, or click Add to Queue to run it after the current sample.
  7. More samples can be loaded and queued while a scan runs. Confirm each one is actually added to the queue.

3 Export your data

  1. Export to the XRD workstation to the right of the instrument, or to a USB drive. Follow the current sign-in and export-folder instructions from your training or posted at the instrument.
  2. Export both the raw scan and any processed plots so you can reprocess later.
  3. Scans save in Panalytical's .xrdml format; a plain-text or .csv pattern can also be exported for use elsewhere.
  4. Keep a copy in your own storage. The shared workstation is not a backup.
  5. Phase matching in HighScore Plus runs on the lab workstation, which holds the reference database.

4 Log, clean, and shut down

  1. Confirm every file you need has been exported.
  2. Fill in the X-ray safety log book. This is the only record that you used the instrument.
  3. Press the power button to switch off the instrument.
  4. Turn the HT keyswitch counter-clockwise to switch off the HT generator.
  5. Remove your holders, return them to storage, and leave the sample prep area clean.
  6. Switch off the mains supply only if the instrument will be off for a long period.