Information for Industrial Users

Diamond is a centre of excellence for applied research in fields as diverse as medicine, engineering, nanotechnology, materials and environmental science. The type of high energy, high intensity X-ray beams that Diamond produces are already being used in a wide range of industrial applications, such as designing new materials, studying corrosion in engineering components, investigating pollution levels, understanding food processing and developing new drugs.

Diamond operates two modes of access for industrial users to beamtime and associated services at Diamond, proprietary access and non-proprietary access.

Diamond offers state-of-the-art experimental stations, with optics, detectors and preparation facilities developed specifically for each beamline, designed to fully exploit the potential of the high energy X-rays. As well as supplying a world class facility, Diamond has an advanced infrastructure in place to support Industrial Users from the start of operations, making Diamond the partner of choice for commercial synchrotron research.

Technical benefits include:

• considerably reduced measurement time in comparison with laboratory techniques;
• a range of sample environments which can be used to mimic operational conditions, for example at high temperature, pressure or specific chemical environments;
• very high spatial resolution;
• high energy X-rays that penetrate more deeply into materials compared to laboratory generated X-rays;
• the high intensity of the x-rays allows the study of industrial processes in real time.

Service benefits include:

• complete confidentiality for proprietary research;
• clarity on intellectual property (IP);
• high levels of automation;
• high throughput capabilities;
• dedicated staff to provide support from the point of application to publication of results;
• onsite preparation facilities and a purpose built research complex;
• onsite Guest House for users;
• flexible access procedures.

In addition, to support industrial users Diamond has established DISCo, an advisory committee that links Diamond Light Source to the Industrial Community.