For solid samples, please send us prefilled and labeled steel plates. Mount samples on as few plates as possible, as exchange of plates is not currently automated.

Contact the beamline team (contact details can be found here) to arrange pick up of steel plates and drop off of plates with mounted samples. 

Use the following guidelines for labeling and sample preparation: 

Plate dimensions

We have steel plates for sample mounting with the following applications and dimensions:

40-hole plates:

→ for powders and gels - holes filled with sample and covered with tape on both sides

• 40 square holes,  each 5 x 5 mm square holes, in 8 columns in 5 rows
• hole pitch (spacing apart) 14 x 14 mm (horizontal x vertical). Designed for mounting/sealing samples with 12 mm wide tape.
• available in 0.7 and 2.0 mm thickness. If in doubt, 0.7 mm sample thickness is the safer bet
• two plates can be mounted on the beamline at one time, so currently 80 samples can be run in one automated acquisition.
• each plate has a laser-engraved number for each well. Label the plate on the same side as the laser engraved sample numbers. 

X-hole plates

→ for larger, solid samples, fibres etc. NOT recommended for powders, gels etc.

• 10 mm diameter round holes, typically at 20 x 20 mm horizontal x vertical pitch (spacing apart).
• limited number of plates, use only where needed
• only one plate at a time can be loaded onto the beamline
• there are no labels on the plates. Label each plate, and every individual sample on BOTH sides!

Sample preparation

→ when loading samples, use Kapton tape where you need it, and not where you don't:

• Kapton tape is great for encapsulating samples that need support, such as powders, gels, some fluids or other formats that are not self supporting for analysis and/or transport. In those cases, you'll need to cover the whole sample with tape, often on both sides, to seal and /or hold the sample in place.
• if there is tape over the part of sample to be analysed, make sure you include at least one corresponding blank sample (i.e. one or two layers of tape as per your sample mount) so that the background scattering from the tape can be measured, and later subtracted from the sample scattering. If you are running more than one plate, please include at least one blank sample per plate.
• Kapton (and any other) adhesive tape, if in the X-ray beam during analysis, adds considerable background scattering will affect your data quality. If the sample is self supporting and only needs attaching the metal sample plate, keep the tape clear of where you plan to analyse the sample. Just use small peices of tape at the sides or corners of the sample to hold it onto the plate. In this case, please leave one empty hole in each plate, which will be used to measure the instrument background for subtraction from the sample data.

Labeling

• See above for labeling guidelines for the two main plate format types.
• Attach a photo for each plate with visible labels, region of interest and description of preferred sample scans. This is particularly useful if there are visual clues staff need to understand when picking out where you want the sample analysed.

Exceptions

On a case by case basis, there might be exceptions to the way we can run specific sample mounts and setups. This can include us mounting bigger or special samples on different plates or sample mounts on site just prior to running the samples or specific sample preparation that needs to be freshly done before the measurement. Please inquire about these opportunities and arrange these ahead of your beamtime in conversation with the beamline team! Contact information can be found here.