Download Fast and smart study of environmental pollution - Phenom

Fast and smart study of environmental
pollution with Phenom ProX SEM
The importance of environmental quality demands that biologists both understand natural ecosystems and
learn to be effective problem solvers. One key environmental issue involves the effects of the pollution from
heavy industries on the environment. Different equipment with different techniques is required to be able to
study and analyze these effects.
With the Phenom ProX desktop SEM, sample structures
can be physically examined and their elemental composition
determined. Viewing three-dimensional images of microscopic
structures only solves half the problem when analyzing samples.
It is often necessary to collect more than optical data to be able
to identify the different elements in a specimen.
This is accomplished in the Phenom ProX with a fully integrated
and specifically designed EDS detector. The Phenom ProX is a
high-magnification desktop scanning electron microscope with
integrated X-ray analysis.
Optical image taken with the navigation camera ( Figure 1 ).
APPLICATION NOTE
X-ray analysis combined with electron imaging (electron
beam microanalysis) is a very powerful tool for understanding
the composition and structure of materials. Electron beam
microanalysis is a non-destructive analytical technique, capable
of performing elemental analysis of micro-volumes.
Subject of investigation is a piece of leaf gathered close to an
industrial zone. To prepare the sample for investigating inside
the Phenom ProX, a small piece was glued onto an aluminum
stub using conductive carbon paint.
SEM image of leaf at 540x ( Figure 2 ).
The optical image was taken with the navigation camera inside
the Phenom ProX providing color information (Figure 1). The
particles spread over the leaf are the point of interest for further
imaging and analysis (Figure 2).
The image on the right shows the Phenom SEM image taken at
3,600x magnification (Figure 3). The leaf is imaged in its original
state using the back scatter detector which provides the material
contrast information. This means that different materials can
be distinguished - an ideal starting point for performing further
X-ray analysis in order to determine the particle composition.
SEM image of leaf at 3,600x ( Figure 3 ).
The particle can immediately be analyzed using the Phenom’s
integrated X-ray detector. The above screenshot shows the
element identification results for the particle highlighted on the
periodic table and in a separate table on the right-hand side.
The spectrum shows the elements found automatically. The
heaviest element present in the particle is Iron (Fe) (Figure 4).
The Phenom ProX desktop SEM is able to generate these
results in a few minutes after sample preparation, which makes
it possible to provide high throughput for environmental control
and research.
X-ray analysis shows the element composition of the
particle( Figure 4 ).
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