Specimen preparation method scanning electron microscopy

The increased use of optical, electron, and scanning probe microscopies applied to polymer research has resulted from the widespread acceptance of these techniques combined with the need for higher performance and lower cost polymer materials. It is well known that the structures present in a polymer reflect the process variables and further that they greatly influence the physical and mechanical properties. Thus, the properties of polymer materials are influenced by their chemical composition, process history, and the resulting morphology. Morphological study involves two aspects prior to the study itself selection of instrumental techniques and development of specimen preparation methods. Structural observations must be correlated with the properties of the material in order to develop an understanding of the material. A major issue in the application of... 

TTHIS CHAPTER IS FOR INDIVIDUALS who have not done electron microscopy (EM) before, but it also contains some new information about specimen preparation that can benefit experienced electron microscopists. It covers the materials and methods necessary to do routine thin sections of embedded specimens however, it does not cover specialized EM techniques such as freeze-fracture, rotary shadowing, negative staining, scanning EM, and serial sectioning. Likewise, this chapter focuses mainly on embryos because a description of the fixation methods for all the various types of fly tissues would require an entire book. This chapter is divided into three main sections ... 

---