January_AMP_Digital

A D V A N C E D M A T E R I A L S & P R O C E S S E S | J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 0 2 6 time-to-image from minutes to sec- onds. Thanks to advanced algorithms that have been refined over time, the color information provided is highly ac- curate and reliable. ColorSEM is always on, meaning that EDS data is collected every time a sample is scanned, and the information is readily available when the research- er needs it. This advanced technology increases user productivity, allowing multi-user labs to expand the number of researchers who use their facilities. The data is easy to access and manipu- late with little to no training, which ex- tends EDS analysis to a larger number of users. SAMPLE USE CASES Here are some examples that demonstrate the benefits of integrating SEM and EDS analysis into a single tech- nique so researchers can quickly and accurately answer critical composition- al questions: • A researcher wants to quickly identify the elements found within a fractured ceramic teapot made from aluminum oxide. A grayscale SEM image lacks the necessary compo- sitional information. When the SEM image is colorized, the researcher can see the cause of the fracture, in this case, micro-quantities of iron debris from tools used in the manu- facturing process. • An engineer needs to determine the thermal stability of cobalt-antimo- ny alloys found in thermal electric devices that harvest power from industrial processes, but a grayscale image doesn’t provide the answer. Using color imaging to examine a sample exposed to high tempera- ture, the researcher can see how the cobalt and antimony are distrib- uted. Within seconds, it becomes clear that the central region is rich in cobalt, and that the antinomy has been diffused out of the region. • A materials scientist examines a fragment of a ceramic heater con- taining unknown contaminants to understand why the heater failed. While the grayscale image lacks the precise information needed, using EDS color technology integrated into the SEM user interface immedi- ately shows that the contaminants are rich in platinum and rhodium, two elements typically found in a thermocouple, which likely melted and caused the heater to fail. NEW ERA FOR ANALYSIS The integration of EDS and SEM analysis has implications for a broad range of research areas from geosci- ence to battery research to the devel- opment of more durable construction materials. A U.S.-based commercial an- alytical laboratory is using ColorSEM to help petrochemical customers more rapidly discern the types of clays in geo- logical core samples. Clays have certain morphology characteristics that can be hard to see in grayscale SEM images, so the lab combines SEM and EDS for com- positional analyses. Using ColorSEM, researchers found they can generate EDS color images up to 10 times faster than with conventional EDS analysis. Likewise, an oil and gas research organization is using ColorSEM to im- mediately analyze samples that al- ways have different morphologies and compositions. With the ability to instantly view and analyze EDS information directly from an SEM, scientists are obtaining meaningful elemental content far eas- ier and faster than previously possible. This new technology promises to usher in a new era of EDS analysis—one that speeds up the process while offering highly accurate answers to some of re- searchers’ most critical materials char- acterization questions. ~AM&P For more information: Ernst Jan Ves- seur, SEM product manager, Materi- als Science at Thermo Fisher Scientific, Zwaanstraat 31G/H, 5651CAEindhoven, the Netherlands, +31 40 2356000, ernst. jan.vesseur@thermofisher.com , www. thermofisher.com . Electroplated bimetallic metal foams can be used as catalysts for the electrochemical reduc- tion of CO 2 into carbon monoxide and alcohols. Sample courtesy of Dr. Peter Broekmann, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bern.