RID

Infrastructure and User Services

The Reactor Institute Delft (RID) operates a 2.3 MW research reactor that produces neutrons for isotope production and material science applications. Approximately eight neutron beamline instruments and several positron spectrometers enable  specialized material research.  A recent (end 2024) facility upgrade  enhances neutron beam sensitivity to the level of an internation user facility. RID also hosts radiological labs together with a suite of advanced instruments:

• Neutron Imaging: 2D and 3D imaging of  hydrogen-based materials in metals, ideal for studying lubricants, water transport in fuel cells, and investigating cultural heritage artifacts.
• Neutron Powder Diffraction: Determines atomic spacing (0.7–13 Å), supporting battery materials, magnetism, catalysis, and hydrogen research.
• Small Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS): Analyzes soft and hard matter at 1 nm–200 nm scales, useful for emulsions, magnetic structures, battery materials, and solar cells.
• Neutron Reflectometry: Studies thin films (1–200 nm) in batteries, hydrogen storage, and soft matter systems.
• Neutron Depth Profiling: Measures element concentrations (Li, B, N, O, S, Cl, K) up to 10 microns, essential for battery research.
• Positron facilities: Utilize positrons to analyze polymers, thin films, self-healing materials, metals, and quantum dots.
• Irradiation Facilities: Produce isotopes for medicine, material science, and tracer-based studies.
• Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA): Identifies element concentrations in diverse materials.
• Mössbauer Spectroscopy: Examines electron valences, crucial for catalysis, permanent magnets, and hydrogen storage.

With this the RID provides world-class neutron and positron research capabilities for academia and industry.

Examples/description of the type of research

The facility with the Neutron and Positron beamlines, irradiation facilities and radiological laboratories has a broad scope of scientific and education applications. In general the neutron and positron facilities are used for material research. This naturally creates a very broad user group with a similarly broad spectrum of scientific topics. All the neutron facilities give access to techniques that are well known for x-rays, however, the sensitivity is completely different. Light elements like Hydrogen and Lithium are orders of magnitude more visible with neutrons. Neutrons will also give the possibility of isotope selectivity and very high magnetic sensitivity. The positron facility gives a unique insight in the open volume defects with a very high sensitivity. Examples are battery research, hydrogen storage, colloid systems, food research, cultural heritage, self-healing materials, solar cell, drug delivery systems etc. 

The Irradiation facilities are used in health research aimed at drug delivery system, based on new innovative radio chemistry, but also for production of isotopes for medical treatment, imaging or production of tracers used in biology, food science or industrial applications. The reactor is also used irradiate samples for the Neutron Activation Analysis instrument to determine element composition. The combination of all these techniques is only available in a scientific and educational ecosystem of a research reactor. 

How to access the infrastructure?

We provide access to our individual instrument on the basis of a proposal though our online proposal system run by a user office. In this proposal the user can opt for the type of access. Often the users want/needs to be present during the experiment, preparing samples of with needed assistance during data analysis. Some experiments are more standard, and the user can post the samples. It is also possible to “run” a remote experiment with local help of technicians.