Scanning electron microscopy conducting material

In another qualitative study, EDX analysis was used to study the nature of the precipitate occasionally formed in Zn-insulin solutions [73]. Identification of the EDX peaks obtained for the crystalline precipitates enabled the deduction that the solid consisted of a Zn-insulin complex, and a rough analysis of the peak intensities indicated that the composition of the precipitate was comparable to that existing in the starting materials. The combination of the EDX technique with scanning electron microscopy enabled the analyses to be conducted on relatively few numbers of extremely small particles. 

For the detailed study of reaction-transport interactions in the porous catalytic layer, the spatially 3D model computer-reconstructed washcoat section can be employed (Koci et al., 2006, 2007a). The structure of porous catalyst support is controlled in the course of washcoat preparation on two levels (i) the level of macropores, influenced by mixing of wet supporting material particles with different sizes followed by specific thermal treatment and (ii) the level of meso-/ micropores, determined by the internal nanostructure of the used materials (e.g. alumina, zeolites) and sizes of noble metal crystallites. Information about the porous structure (pore size distribution, typical sizes of particles, etc.) on the micro- and nanoscale levels can be obtained from scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy ( ), or other high-resolution imaging techniques in combination with mercury porosimetry and BET adsorption isotherm data. This information can be used in computer reconstruction of porous catalytic medium. In the reconstructed catalyst, transport (diffusion, permeation, heat conduction) and combined reaction-transport processes can be simulated on detailed level (Kosek et al., 2005). 

Scanning electron microscopy is an important tool when examining the mode of wear of any sample. The surface of the sample is coated with a very thin layer (only several atoms thick) of a conductive material such as gold. The surface is scanned using a beam of electrons and the image magnified and recorded. 

Another approach to deposit conducting polymers can be achieved by photochemical polymerization of the monomer precursors. This procedure provides a means by which different composites (metals and/or various alloy materials with or without biomolecules) can be deposited from an electrolyte onto a non-conducting surface. Such a procedure was optimized and applied for polymerization of pyrrole in the presence of metal nanoparticles [61]. Photopolymerized films containing metals analyzed by environmental scanning electron microscopy (SEM) appeared to be typical of amorphous polypyrrole in which bright Ag particles were found on the surface (Fig. 7.6). 

This chapter describes the results of an ongoing study we are conducting into the nanoscale mechanical properties, chemical composition and structure of healthy enamel, carious lesions and the acquired salivary pellicle layer. A variety of material characterization techniques are being used, including nanoindentation, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron microprobe analysis (EMPA), scanning acoustic microscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy (TOF SIMS). 

The characterization of the physical properties of pharmaceutical compounds under development is often conducted using a variety of techniques including DSC, TGA, XRD, HSM, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), infrared (IR) and Raman spectroscopy, moisture uptake, particle size analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and micromeritic assays. A typical initial analysis of a pharmaceutical compound under development in a materials characterization group would include DSC, TGA, HSM, and XRD analyses. These four techniques are chosen because the data generated from them, when viewed collectively, comprise a relatively complete initial analysis of the physical properties of the compound. The DSC, TGA, and HSM assays... 

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