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Applications of SAXS

Technique
applications

Applications of SAXS

  • Non-Crystallisable Systems: Ideal for studying systems that are difficult or impossible to crystallise, such as proteins or partially ordered polymeric systems.
  • Complex and Composite Systems: Perfect for analysing complex or composite systems, including catalysts, advanced engineering materials, and biomaterials.
  • Large Scale Self-Organisation: Suitable for materials with large-scale self-organisation, such as composite materials, nanoparticle suspensions, and phase behaviour in multi-component systems (e.g., pharmaceutical formulations or food materials).

SAXS case studies

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Fine tuning slip additives for industrial applications

Researchers from the University of Bristol and Procter & Gamble used X-ray reflectivity at Diamond to reveal how erucamide concentration affects surface structure—enabling better design of slip additives for diverse industrial applications.
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Changing how and when materials crystallise

Scientists from LST, the University of Leeds, and Imperial College London used SAXS and WAXS techniques at Diamond Light Source to study how ultrasound can manipulate crystallisation in food and fuel systems—enabling real-time control of nucleation processes.
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Rechargeable heating systems using renewable materials

Researchers from Aalto University used small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) at Diamond Light Source to characterise lignin-stabilised nanocapsules—revealing their potential as efficient, sustainable phase change materials for thermal energy storage.
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Unilever - hair care development

Unilever partnered with Diamond Light Source to fast-track a novel hair care formulation using SAXS on the I22 beamline. The collaboration enabled rapid microstructural analysis, helping the R&D team meet a critical milestone and advance to a home-use trial prototype.
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Bath - Formulations

A collaboration between Unilever, Croda, Rockwood Additives, the Universities of Bath and Liverpool, and the National Non-Food Crop Centre explores how biodegradable cellulose can replace petrochemical-based thickeners in cleaning products. Using Diamond Light Source’s I22 beamline, researchers investigated gelation behaviour to support greener, cost-effective formulations.

Related techniques

Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering (RIXS)
Protein SAXS (bioSAXS)

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