Automated Electron Microscopy
Particles as small as a few micrometers in size can adversely affect industrial processing, product quality and human health, resulting in production downtime, lost man-hours and the possibility of lawsuits. Identifying these particles can help decipher maintenance issues in manufacturing and industrial processes and add new information to forensic and environmental studies.
Automated particle analyses, or searches, are a fast, effective and accurate method for identifying possible contaminant particles and/or particles of interest. Some specific examples of the uses of automated analyses include:
- Searching for specific metal particles on industrial hygiene air filters
- Identifying metal wear particles in lubrication fluids
- Performing homogeneity studies on polished sections of metal alloys, minerals, paints and glass
- Identifying gunshot residue on tape lifts from suspects’ hands/clothing, etc.
- Classifying populations of materials on environmental surveys of airborne particulate matter
- Categorizing mineral distributions in soils
- Determining population distributions based on composition, morphology and/or size