Quantitative Composition Analysis Microscopic Analytical Advantage: In both manufacturing and Environmental or IAQ applications, it is often very important to determine if there are even trace amounts of particular analytes or materials present in a sample. Traditionally, chemical testing methods with high sensitivities and low detection limits have been employed. However, it is often important to know not only if that particular element or material might be present, but also in what form. It might lead to completely different approaches if the material is present in discrete, high density particles or is diffused throughout a coating as a dissolved material. While a metals digestion would allow you to know the concentration of calcium in a sample, it might be important to know the relative amounts of calcium carbonate to gypsum. Digestion destroys that important information, and whole sample chemical testing only gets you a number for an element or compound, not an idea of what types of materials are present in the sample. The combination of SEM imaging and EDX analysis allows for a careful analysis to solve these and other, similar problems. Because the chemical data gathered with EDX is location specific, and yields simultaneous concentration numbers for all detectable elements, the composition of individual areas or particles is easily separable, and a combination of elements can be selectively located in a sample. Combine this selectivity with the high resolution imaging inherent in SEM analysis, and particles can be identified, and sourced, easily. Sample Applications: Two scenarios easily highlight the advantage of this combination of techniques over traditional analytical methods. In one case, if it were suspected that metallic shot or oxides might be migrating from a source to a different area of a facility, it would be possible to use a combination of BSE imaging and elemental mapping to clearly identify areas where these discrete particles were observed. An ICP digestion for metals would just give a total concentration number. The SEM analysis could differentiate between larger pieces of metallic shavings, fumed particles, and any salts that might be present from quenching or treatment operations. Similarly, if a sample of fine solids were prepared, it could be examined to differentiate between mineral materials present as silt from a water source, and man made abrasives introduced as from a grinding process. In both cases, additional information is easy to determine, such as particle size distribution information, weight percentages, and even calculated concentrations. The resolution and specificity inherent in this technique allows for unique and challenging applications to be handled elegantly. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions about how your application might benefit from this powerful combination of techniques.

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