Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-fscjk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T11:19:43.466Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Boron Substrates for Particulate X-Ray Microanalysis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 July 2020

Eric S.Windsor ,
Dale E.Newbury ,
John D.Kessler  and
Peter H.Chi
Eric S.Windsor
Affiliation:
Surface and Microanalysis Science Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD20899
Dale E.Newbury
Affiliation:
Surface and Microanalysis Science Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD20899
John D.Kessler
Affiliation:
Surface and Microanalysis Science Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD20899
Peter H.Chi
Affiliation:
Surface and Microanalysis Science Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD20899
Get access

Extract

Sample substrates for x-ray microanalysis of particles should be chemically simple and composed of low atomic number elements. Substrates meeting these requirements will generate a minimum number of low energy x-ray peaks that should not interfere with spectra generated by the particles of interest. Elemental carbon fulfills these requirements and carbon planchets are used for the majority of work involving x-ray microanalysis of particles. When particles of interest are carbonaceous, alternate substrates must be sought. Beryllium planchets have traditionally been used for the analysis of carboncontaining particles. However, concerns about beryllium toxicity along with regulations from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have resulted in diminished use of beryllium as a substrate material. These toxicity issues prompted us to explore the possibility of using elemental boron as a substrate for microanalysis of carbon-containing particles.

Elemental boron is available from chemical supply houses and the material we purchased was in the form of irregularly shaped pieces, approximately 3 cm in the longest dimension.

Type
Specimen Preparation Poster Session
Information
Microscopy and Microanalysis , Volume 5 , Issue S2: Proceedings: Microscopy & Microanalysis '99, Microscopy Society of America 57th Annual Meeting, Microbeam Analysis Society 33rd Annual Meeting, Portland, Oregon August 1-5, 1999 , August 1999 , pp. 920 - 921
Copyright
Copyright © Microscopy Society of America

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Occupational Safety and Health Standards, 29CFR, Subpart Z, Part 1910.1000.7/96 edition.Google Scholar
2.Goldstein, J.I.et al., Scanning Electron Microscopy and X-Ray Microanalysis Plenum Press (1992)CrossRefGoogle Scholar