Microscopic techniques, useful resolutions ranges

Figure 4.16 (fl) Bar chart showing size ranges for several structural features found in materials, (b) Bar chart showing the useful resolution ranges for four microscopic techniques discussed in this chapter, in addition to the naked eye,... 

Microscopy is a key approach which is frequently used for the characterizatitm of composite latex particles. There are a wide range of microscopes which can be used to analyze latexes, such as the optical microscope (OM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) and the atomic force microscope (AFM). The choice of the microscope technique depends on the resolution and size range needed (i.e. nanometres to microns). The most important factor in microscopy is contrast. If the contrast is low, it becomes very difficult to distinguish between... 

Figure 4.16a is a bar chart showing dimensional size ranges for several types of structures found in materials (note that the axes are scaled logarithmically). The useful dimensional resolution ranges for the several microscopic techniques discussed in this chapter... 

In the recent literature the terms nanoparticles and nanosystems are used, in analogy to colloid and colloidal systems. The prefix nano indicates dimensions in the 1 to 100 nm range. This is above the atomic scale and, unless highly refined methods are used, below the resolution of a light microscope and thus also below the accuracy of optical microstructuring techniques. 

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