Today, we performed the first dynamic vapour sorption experiment using our new system on the WOMBAT high-intensity powder diffractometer. In this case, system has been used to study an organo-clay with toluene solvent. Organo-clays are important since their ability selectively to remove solvents from water streams.
In this experiment we used the vapour system to deliver a measured amount of toluene to the sample at a defined temperature. The vapour system can also be used with water vapour or any other kind of solvent. To our knowledge we are one of the first neutron user facilities able to precisely dose vapours to the sample, in this manner.
The system was developed in collaboration with Hiden Isochema and works with recirculation of different streams of vapour and gases allowing many possibilities, and we use the vapour system jointly with our mass spectrometer to monitor the relative quantities of vapour and gases. The image shows the equipment on WOMBAT, with Paolo Imperia and Norman Booth, both from our sample-environment team.
