ALBA Synchrotron
Technical and Safety reasons
As a general rule, experiments on BL22-CLAESS have to be performed exclusively with samples and equipments described in proposals (academic, in-house, proprietary) and validated by ALBA Health and Safety Office.
What cannot be done at the BL for technical reasons:
- Gas pressures above 10 bars in the solid-gas reactor.
- Sample temperatures above 1000 K.
- Sample temperatures below 4 K.
- Mixtures with oxygen concentrations above 23.5%
- Photon energies below 2.35 keV.
- Photon energies above 68 keV.
- Focal properties below 100 micons.
- EXAFS investigations below 3keV in fluorescence mode.
- Less than 0.5 seconds per point per scan in continuous mode to avoid artefacts.
- Continuous scans with variable monochromator speed.
- No automatic change of the fluorescence detector settings.
- No automatic electrometer range change.
- No continuous temperature detection in the continuous scans.
What cannot be done at the BL for safety reasons:
- Contact BL staff before submitting proposals with unusual gases. Following the general policy from ALBA, we do not accept pyrophoric (e.g. silane, borane, and phosphine) or highly unstable gases (i.e., 1,3-butadiene, methyl acetylene, vinyl chloride, tetrafluoroethylene, and vinyl fluoride, etc.) gases.
- Samples with biosafety level 2 or higher (GMO excluded).
- Radioactive compounds: Radioactive sources as defined in RD 35/2008 will not be accepted. Samples containing radioactive isotopes below these specific limits MUST be declared and acceptance will be studied case by case.
- Nanoparticles: Powder samples with sub-micron grain sizes are considered herein. Measurement on nano size materials could be authorized when sample is properly filled in sealed confinement or firmly bonded to a substrate. However, the manipulation on the beamline and/or related laboratory of loose powder is forbidden.
- Illegal substances and/or samples: (f.i. drugs, unregulated agricultural or food samples, etc.) unless it is explicitly proved that it is allowed by Spanish regulations.
Disclaimer: This list is not comprehensive; it only indicates the experimental conditions and sample characteristics that could not be accepted due to technical and/or safety reasons. The acceptance of any materials (including equipment) is subjected to the availability of all required safety conditions and protective equipment.