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S A Wight

Publications and source records attributed to S A Wight.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

Direct preparation of particles from liquid suspension for ESEM or SEM analysis.

A simplified method for the preparation of particles from liquid suspensions has been developed. Particles are deposited directly on carbon planchets for rapid analysis by environmental scanning electron microscopy or by conventional scanning electron microscopy after an additional drying step. This is accomplished by filtering the liquid through thin carbon planchets. Three different grades of graphite were investigated for their suitability as the source material for these planchets. The high quality isomolded graphite is recommended for the filtration and direct observation of particles by electron microscopy. This technique is demonstrated for particles in hydraulic fluid and aquatic suspended particulate material from a natural water source.

Journal Article↗

Environmental scanning electron microscope imaging examples related to particle analysis.

This work provides examples of some of the imaging capabilities of environmental scanning electron microscopy applied to easily charged samples relevant to particle analysis. Environmental SEM (also referred to as high pressure or low vacuum SEM) can address uncoated samples that are known to be difficult to image. Most of these specimens are difficult to image by conventional SEM even when coated with a conductive layer. Another area where environmental SEM is particularly applicable is for specimens not compatible with high vacuum, such as volatile specimens. Samples from which images were obtained that otherwise may not have been possible by conventional methods included fly ash particles on an oiled plastic membrane impactor substrate, a one micrometer diameter fiber mounted on the end of a wire, uranium oxide particles embedded in oil-bearing cellulose nitrate, teflon and polycarbonate filter materials with collected air particulate matter, polystyrene latex spheres on cellulosic filter paper, polystyrene latex spheres "loosely" sitting on a glass slide, and subsurface tracks in an etched nuclear track-etch detector. Surface charging problems experienced in high vacuum SEMs are virtually eliminated in the low vacuum SEM, extending imaging capabilities to samples previously difficult to use or incompatible with conventional methods.

Membranes, Artificial↗

Experimental data and model simulations of beam spread in the environmental scanning electron microscope.

This work describes the comparison of experimental measurements of electron beam spread in the environmental scanning electron microscope with model predictions. Beam spreading is the result of primary electrons being scattered out of the focused beam by interaction with gas molecules in the low-vacuum specimen chamber. The scattered electrons form a skirt of electrons around the central probe. The intensity of the skirt depends on gas pressure in the chamber, beam-gas path length, beam energy, and gas composition. A model has been independently developed that, under a given set of conditions, predicts the radial intensity distribution of the scattered electrons. Experimental measurements of the intensity of the beam skirt were made under controlled conditions for comparison with model predictions of beam skirting. The model predicts the trends observed in the experimentally determined scattering intensities; however, there does appear to be a systematic deviation from the experimental measurements.

Journal Article↗