Our Capabilities
Electron Microscopy
Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)
While the first electron microscopes were of the transmission variety, the technology of electron-probe micro-analysis led to the development of the SEM, an instrument that images surfaces at a broad range of magnification. A focussed electron beam is swept across a precisely-controlled area of the specimen surface, while a detector captures the emerging secondary electrons and generates an emission map on a CRT: the resulting image offers excellent “depth” at low magnifications, and a resolution of 1.5 nanometres at the high end. A field-emission source renders MSG’s Hitachi S4500 instrument particularly suitable for examining sensitive materials such as polymer latices, biological tissues and pharmaceutical products.
Applications
SEM images present surface morphology in a “viewer-friendly” manner that customers find invaluable for seeing, understanding and illustrating their products.
Common applications include failure analysis, filler dispersion assessment, particle/feature sizing and contaminant identification. A picture really does tell a thousand words, and frequently provides some numbers too!
Associated techniques
- Backscattered imaging: a B/S detector generates an image of a flat, polished surface, in which the contrast arises from variations in atomic number within the sample. This allows us to view multiple phases and locate fillers and contaminants.
- X-ray analysis: see the EDX page to learn how the fluorescence of x-rays allows us to identify and locate elements.
- Cryo-SEM: this page describes how the world of wet systems has been opened up to our high-vacuum instrumentation.
Advice is available, so make the call +44 (0) 1642 435788 or email MSGenquiry@intertek.com
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