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 * Thanks for the suggestions. I find that the Cl content of epoxies is too low to produce a great enough Cl Ka count rate in EDS such that the epoxy can be identified unambiguously in small pores. Someone has suggested to me to pour molten eutectic Pb-Bi or Sn-Bi over the sample within a mold, embed the resulting cylinder in Duroplast, and then re-melt the embedded metal enclosing the sample in a mounting press. Apparently these metal mixtures are very effective at penetrating pore spaces. Brian > 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 > > > > * > > Hello Brian, > > Many of the epoxies that I deal with contain a small amount of Chlorine > and I frequently use it as a marker. > I don't know if this would be relevant to your system but I occasionally > see Brominated hydrocarbons (sometimes with an Antimony compound) > incorporated into epoxy resins. They light up nicely in a back-scattered > electron image at much lower beam currents and with much better > resolution, (and it's unlikely that either will be present in your test > material) > > Cheers > Jeff Wessel > Boeing M&PT > Seattle, WA > > -----Original Message----- > From: JEOL-Focused Probe Users List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On > Behalf Of Brian Joy > Sent: Tuesday, June 12, 2012 12:30 PM > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: [PROBEUSERS] adding impurity to epoxy > > 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 > > > > * > > Hi everyone, > > I am working on an X-ray mapping project and would like to identify epoxy > that has infiltrated pore spaces and fractures in shale. The > complications are 1) the pore spaces are typically no more than a few > microns across and 2) carbonaceous material is abundant within the > samples. The carbonaceous material always contains some amount of sulfur, > and so it can often be distinguished by this means. However, I would like > to unambiguously identify epoxy that has infiltrated the sample (or verify > that it hasn't infiltrated). Does anyone have experience with adding a > tracer element (as a solute?) to epoxy for this purpose? The > concentration of the element would need to be great enough that it could > be detected via EDS (SDD) in micron-scale pore spaces while using a > relatively short dwell time (not much longer than 20 ms, with probe > current not exceeding 100 nA). I'd appreciate any advice. > > Brian > > -- > Brian Joy > Electron Microprobe and ESEM Lab > Queen's Facility for Isotope Research > Department of Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering Queen's > University > 36 Union Street > Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6 > > cell phone: 530-220-0434 > lab phone: 613-533-2595 > fax: 613-533-6592 > > -- > This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by > MailScanner, and is believed to be clean. > > -- > This message has been scanned for viruses and > dangerous content by MailScanner, and is > believed to be clean. > > -- Brian Joy Electron Microprobe and ESEM Lab Queen's Facility for Isotope Research Department of Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering Queen's University 36 Union Street Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6 cell phone: 530-220-0434 lab phone: 613-533-2595 fax: 613-533-6592 -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean.