Scanning Electron Microscopy Demonstration of Sample Preparation #scanningelectronmicroscopy #SEM

Scanning Electron Microscopy Demonstration of Sample Preparation #scanningelectronmicroscopy #SEM

SEM non-conductive samples

Create a connection to the ground using metallic tape and image your sample in the nearby area;

Sputter coat your sample with gold or other conductive coating materials;

Operate at a lower vacuum level.

SEM powder sample preparation

To ensure that downstream analysis of particle properties is accurate, it is not only necessary to separate individual particles, but also to break apart agglomerates. Figure 1 shows the difference between adding a powder sample directly onto the carbon adhesive, and using the Nebula™ vacuum dispersion system.

Once the particles in your sample have been evenly dispersed, you can start analyzing your sample using a SEM. The ParticleMetric software was developed in house and was specially designed with particle analysis in mind. This software package enables users to analyze particles in terms of parameters such as diameter, circularity or grayscale level. By revisiting outliers in the dataset, the user can perform elemental analysis via EDX for a powerful solution.

Recently, a group of researchers (Kotronia et al., availablehere) studied the encapsulation of oregano essential oils in β-Cyclodextrin. Using ParticleMetric, the average size of particles was determined, validating their experimental procedure.

In another use case, the Nebula™ was used for dispersing printer toner particles and particle size was determined using ParticleMetric, as part of a US patent application.

As can be seen from these examples, there are numerous solutions to problems you might encounter in your laboratory or industrial processes. If you would like to download the ParticleMetric & Nebula™ brochure, please clickhere.