JEOL Probe Users Listserver

Moderator: Ellery Frahm, [log in to unmask],
Electron Microprobe Lab, University of Minnesota

Post a message: send your message to [log in to unmask]

Unsubscribe: send "SIGNOFF PROBEUSERS" to [log in to unmask]

On-line help and FAQ: http://probelab.geo.umn.edu/listserver.html



*

Owen,
     Gd2O3 is usually a powder and cannot be polished well. Look at it  
in reflected light or SEI and it should be clear if you have a  
powder.  If so, don't even try to use it for a standard (well, you  
could tune up on it).  The REE phosphates are nice crystals, free for  
the asking at the Smithsonian, and (given a little Pb) work very well  
when analyzing major levels of REE as in monazite and xenotime.  The  
REE glasses of Drake and Weill are nice as working standards but are  
not as robust under a high beam current or under conditions (15 kV,  
10-20 nA) that produce relatively low count rates for REE.
eric


On Sep 7, 2008, at 5:12 PM, Owen P. Mills wrote:

> JEOL Probe Users Listserver
>
> Moderator: Ellery Frahm, [log in to unmask],
> Electron Microprobe Lab, University of Minnesota
>
> Post a message: send your message to [log in to unmask]
>
> Unsubscribe: send "SIGNOFF PROBEUSERS" to [log in to unmask]
>
> On-line help and FAQ: http://probelab.geo.umn.edu/listserver.html
>
>
>
> *
>
> All,
>
> I've got a problem with a Taylor standard block, specifically Gd2O3  
> on the
> block.  The surface of the remainder of the block is pretty good, but
> Gd2O3 is not.  It almost looks swollen and is very rough, even pitted.
> I'm not sure I ever noticed because we've never needed it.  I need  
> it now
> (I mean right now) and have got to get in in better shape but I  
> don't want
> to screw up the rest of the block.  Maybe it would be best to make a
> separate mount of only Gd2O3 material? Do you have any ideas?
>
> I'd really like to start a discussion of how to get multi-element  
> standard
> blocks in good shape and keep them that way.  I am not a polishing  
> expert
> and don't particularly want to be but I really don't want to trust  
> this to
> someone else.  Perhaps I could send them out to be re-polished?  Who  
> could
> do that?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Owen Mills
> Michigan Tech University
>
>