Recap provided by Aya Takase
On March 7, 2025, we kicked off our first MiniFlex Office Hour. In this new monthly LinkedIn Live series, MiniFlex users can drop in and ask questions directly to Rigaku’s XRD expert, Dr. Akhilesh Tripathi. With over 35 years of experience in powder XRD and more than 20 years of supporting MiniFlex users, Akhilesh is the go-to person for everything from sample preparation to advanced analysis.
You can watch the full recording here. If you’re new to MiniFlex, it’s a benchtop X-ray diffractometer that researchers have trusted since 1973.
Here are some of the key questions Akhilesh answered during the session:
Many users in the pharmaceutical industry and other research areas only have a few milligrams of material. If you can see the sample and place it on a zero-background sample holder, you can probably get good data.
Akhilesh recommended using zero-background sample holders. These holders use a silicon single crystal cut in the (510) direction, which does not produce background peaks of their own.
You can wash these sample holders with dish soap. Be careful not to use any metal brush, steel wool, or anything that can scratch the silicon surface.
Some people believe benchtop systems like MiniFlex compromise on performance. Akhilesh busted that myth.
Even though MiniFlex runs at 600 W, its compact geometry means the X-ray source is closer to the detector. That’s like moving the sun closer to the Earth, so you actually get higher intensity in many cases. Floor models allow advanced or specialized optics and attachments (e.g., high-temp stages), thus offering more flexibility, but MiniFlex is often more than enough for routine powder work.
He also pointed out that benchtop models have benefits. For example, because it runs at lower power, it consumes less energy, and the X-ray tube lasts longer.
MiniFlex operates at a fixed 600 W (40 kV, 15 mA); no special power supply is required. Its compact size fits comfortably on a standard lab bench. The latest MiniFlex600-C includes an internal chiller, saving even more space.
The most common one? Sample displacement. If your sample isn’t level with the brim of the sample holder, your peaks will shift. Too high, and the peaks shift to higher 2θ. Too low, and they shift lower.
The key is to flatten your powder using a straight edge like a spatula or glass slide. It’s simple, but critical!
Akhilesh showed two types of commonly used detectors live:
With modern detectors, scans that used to take hours can now be done in minutes, even for complex multi-phase samples.
Akhilesh talked about two powerful tools added to SmartLab Studio II in recent years:
There’s a slight learning curve, but we can train you. Once you get the basics, like refining major phases first while locking trace phases, you’ll be up and running. Many users now make their own templates with confidence.
Yes. Once trained, the AI finds trace peaks humans might miss and delivers consistent results across batches. It’s not just fast—it’s reproducible and operator-independent.
This was our first MiniFlex Office Hour, and we’ll be back every month with more answers, tips, and insights from Akhilesh. If you use MiniFlex or are curious about benchtop XRD, we hope you’ll join us live next time!
The live event information is posted on our LinkedIn event page.
Do you have questions in the meantime? Drop your question in the comment section of the most recent episode. Akhilesh will answer them, or we might answer it live during the next office hour.