Polarization Analysis Equipment in SANS-J-II: Study of Polymer Electrolyte Membrane for Fuel Cell

In small angle neutron scattering spectrometer, SANS-J-II at Japan Research Reactor No. 3 (JRR-3), a polarization analysis setup has been equipped, which is composed of transmission-type supermirror polarizer, radial-bender-type supermirror analyzer, π flipper, and solenoids for generating guide magnetic field. This setup was applied to the structural study of polymer electrolyte membrane, Nafion under water-swollen state. The sample is known to exhibit several characteristic peaks at wide angle region, which is related to water transporting channels. By use of polarization analysis technique, the coherent and incoherent contributions were successfully separated. Consequently, we obtained reliable information about decaying power law of ionic cluster peak and the shape of the broad peak, relating to ordering with short distance (5.6 Å).