Reflected light microscopy specimen preparation

Specimen preparation may be broadly classified into two main areas specimen preparation techniques for transmitted-light microscopy (thin sections, smears, fibers, particulate strews) and specimen preparation techniques for reflected-light microscopy (surface preparation of opaque and nearly opaque materials). However, they are by no means exclusive and, although metals, ores, and opaque minerals may be studied by reflected light only, thin sections, smears, etc., may be studied both by transmitted and by reflected light, e.g., transmitted-light and epifluorescence microscopy. The advantages of such dual observational techniques relate in particular to contrast enhancement (criterion (3)). 

Fiber orientation was studied for different thermoplastic polymers reinforced by short glass fibers, using a special specimen preparation treatment for reflected light microscopy... 

Replication is one of the oldest methods used for the production of thin TEM specimens and it is also used for specimen preparation for optical microscopy and SEM. The procedure was first introduced by Bradley [426, 427], and it is well documented in texts on specimen preparation [428, 429]. Replicas have the surface characteristics or topography of the original specimen without the need to directly image beam sensitive materials. Reflected light microscopy of polymer surfaces is often difficult because glare from the surface limits visible detail, although... 

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