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 * Sorry, I meant a beam resolution of ca. 0.7 MICRO-meter (not nm...) with a LaB6.... J. On 6/20/12 1:06 AM, Gerald Schmidt 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 > > > > * > > Ritchie, > > what an exciting prospect! I hope your case will be successful. > > I work at an institute that's mainly focused on materials research. We > are using a medium-old SEM (W cathode) and a medium-new EPMA (JXA-8100). > Our researchers as well as our industrial partners appreciate both > methods for their respective strengths. > > Would your department cooperate with the the School of Engineering, i.e. > would your new microprobe be available to them? If so, I think they > should be quite supportive! > > According to the website of the Research Centre for Surface and > Materials Science (RCSMS), their SEM equipment is new and provides > high-performance electron imaging thanks to their Field Emission (FE) > sources. A microprobe could and should not compete with that. However, > even high-performance FE SEMs can not provide better spectral EDS > resolution than the WDS of a microprobe. For example, how do they > resolve the problem of line overlaps, such as Mo and S? > Especially in our research field of high temperature materials, we often > look at alloys containing Mo, and aggressive environments containing S, > and we want to be able to tell what happens on and below the metal > surface when those alloys are exposed to high temperatures in aggressive > environments. You could think of other examples too, and I'm sure the > RCSMS would love to have a WDS solution at hand! > > Another strength of the EPMA clearly is element mapping. Even the > coolest FE SEM will produce rather sad looking maps (some examples > provided on the RCSMS website). I bet if you show a comparison of EDS / > WDS maps this will convince some people! Especially industrial > researchers love our colourful WDS maps. > > Finally, when it comes to precise quantification of alloying elements in > special steels or Nickel-base alloys, we know we cannot rely on EDS. > Even just the word "standardless" should ring some alarm bells! > Of course it will be challenging to make this point without sounding too > critical about the work that's been done at the RCSMS so far ;-) > > Good luck! > Gerald > > ------------------------ > Dr. Gerald Schmidt > DECHEMA-Forschungsinstitut > High Temperature Materials > Theodor-Heuss-Allee 25 > 60486 Frankfurt am Main > Germany > > Tel: +49-69-7564-355 > Fax: +49-69-7564-388 > E-Mail: [log in to unmask] > http://www.dechema-dfi.de > > DECHEMA-Forschungsinstitut • Stiftung bürgerlichen Rechts > Vorstand: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Michael Schütze (Vors.), Priv.-Doz. Dr. Jens > Schrader > Sitz der Stiftung: Frankfurt am Main > Anerkannt durch das Regierungspräsidium Darmstadt unter Az. > I13-25d04/11-(12)-720 > Steuer-Nr.: 45 255 00182 > > > -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht----- > Von: JEOL-Focused Probe Users List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Im > Auftrag von Ritchie Sims > Gesendet: Donnerstag, 14. Juni 2012 09:12 > An: [log in to unmask] > Betreff: [PROBEUSERS] Case for a new EPMA > > > Hi > > For the past ten years we have been using a JXA-840A with EDS for > quantitative geological > work, it's been OK, for analytes > about 0.2%, but there is a chance now > to make a case for > a brand-new 'proper' EPMA. > > The complication is that we have to find as many potential users, from > within and without the > University, to support us. > > In the School of Engineering there are a couple of SemS, with close ties > to local industry, and > because their standardless analytical packages give element > concentrations to two decimal > places, they and their users accept that their results are quantitative > (!). > > They are likely to oppose our getting a new EPMA as it would probably > reduce their revenue > stream. > > I know virtually nothing of probe applications outside Geology. > > I would really appreciate hearing of EPMA projects and applications in > non-geological fields > to help me prepare a case. It would be great to list those for which an > EPMA beats an SEM > hands-down. > > cheers > > Ritchie > > -- > Ritchie Sims Ph D Phone : 64 9 3737599 ext > 87713 > Microanalyst Fax : 64 9 > 3737435 > Department of Geology email : > [log in to unmask] > The University of Auckland > Private Bag 92019 > Auckland > New Zealand -- ********************************************** Dr. Julien Allaz Research Associate Electron microprobe manager University of Colorado Boulder Geological Sciences UCB 399 2200 Colorado Ave. Boulder, CO 80309-0399 USA Have a look at my Home Page! => http://geoloweb.ch/ <= **********************************************