Applications of the Electron Microscope to Industry
Applications of an Electron Microscope in Industry.
Forensics:
- Blood examinations
- Gunshot residue analysis
- Bullet marking comparison.
- Firearms identification
- Investigation of Gemstones and jewelry
- Paint Particles and clothing fibers examination
- Handwriting and print examination.
- Non-conducting materials examination
- high resolution surface imaging and more
Material Science
- Quality control
- Failure analysis
- Investigations of Nanotubes and nanofibers
- Investigations of High temperature superconductors, mesoporous architecture
- Investigation of Alloy strength
- Investigation of nanowires for gas sensing
- Semiconductor inspection
- Microchip assembly
Electronics:
- Monitor and control production processes (quality control).
- Investigating solder joints detecting possible leakage or porosity,
- Failure analysis
Oil and gas industry:
- Objective and statistical data about the environment and its organics
- Data on the lithotype and porosity characteristics of the reservoir, seals, and source rock,
- Validate input of Geological models that have been produced from seismic, wireline and mud logs.
- Failure analysis
Petroleum Industry:
- Analysis of conventional core, sidewall cores and cutting samples.
- Understanding and knowledge of reservoir rock mineral, diagenesis, texture, and pore space properties. Those affected by log response fluid flow and rock-fluid interaction.
Steel industry:
- Identify cracks, imperfections, or contaminants in the coating of steel.
- Failure analysis
Pharmaceutical Industry:
- Investigating potential new drugs, Chemical Identification using EDS.
Soil and rock sampling:
- Identification of tools and early human artifacts
- Soil quality measurement for farming and agriculture
- Dating historic ruins, forensic evidence is soil quality, toxins etc
Biological Sciences:
- Imaging of insects and animal tissue to bacteria and viruses,
- Measuring the effect of climate change of species
- Identifying new bacteria and virulent strains
- Vaccination testing, uncovering new species.
- Work within the field genetics
Medical Science:
- Compare blood and tissue samples in determing the cause of illness and measuring the effects of treatments on patients.
- Identifying diseases and viruses
- Testing new vaccinations and medicine
- Comparing tissue samples between patients in a control and test group
- Testing samples over the lifespan of a patient.
- Medical devices and implants (failure Analysis)
Art:
- Micrographs produced by the SEM’s have been used to create digital artworks.
Agriculture:
- Analysis of pollen (Identifying the family of plant), stomata, bacteria, fungi and non-living materials
- Identifying fungi species (size, shape, type of filament)
- Identifying Bacteria type (shape, size)
- Characterization of nanoparticles in plants
- Soil quality measurement for farming and agriculture
Food industry:
- Analyze food particles quality and structure.
- Quality assurance of food microbiology or pathogens
- Discovering microorganisms in Food and beverage
- Analyzing food ultrastructure to detect the occurrence of specific chemical elements which can be either naturally be present or contaminate during processing or packaging.
Geology:
- Find out more about crystal structures.
Paleontology:
- Identification of microfossils
- Study of the inner structure of fossil megaspores
Archaeology:
- Examination of soil particles
- Pigments
- Bone
- Teeth
- Fingernails
- Skin
- Hair
- Eggshell
- Mollusks
- Plant remains
- Wood
- Pollen
- Fibers
- Insects
- Parasites.