IntroductionWhen preparing a TEM lamella in focused ion beam (FIB), curtaining is a common obstacle. Curtaining is aroughness on the lamella as a result of non-uniform thinning which critically affects the quality of analytical datacollected, in addition to the ability to image and thin the lamella. A common cause of curtaining is the presence ofdifferent materials with a range of milling rates. The solution we discuss here to reduce curtaining is to change theorientation in which a lamella is ion beam polished/thinned by using the rotation function of the OmniProbe 400nanomanipulator.
Full quantitative analysis of eleven trace elements in a solid Cu matrix by Laser Ablation ICP-MS has been demonstrated using commercially available calibration standards and standard reference materials. The high sensitivity of the Thermo Scientific iCAP Q ICP-MS in KED mode, with its proprietary Flatapole technology makes the detection of sub-ppm levels of contaminants in solid Cu easily achievable. The larger ablation two-volume cell of New Wave’s NWR213 Laser system is suited for a high-volume operation allowing a batch analysis of any number of samples that fit inside a 100x100 mm cell space. The seamless interface between the laser and the ICPMS systems allows the analyst the convenience to perform the operation and collect data directly from one computer screen.
研究者对阿根廷布宜诺斯艾利斯自然科学博物馆收藏的一组来自殖民时期17-18世纪的南美邻国巴拉圭特立尼达耶稣会传教区(Jesuit Missions of La Santisima Trinidad)的木雕宗教艺术品进行了分析,并成功揭示出了木雕上所使用的黑色颜料的化学成分。事实上古人使用多的黑色颜料是碳基材料,少量使用铁、锰氧化物材料。而碳基材料的的存在形式则非常丰富多样,如石墨、木炭、煤炭、烟灰、泥炭等。本次分析的重点在于发现300年前的匠人究竟用了哪些或者哪种形式黑色“颜料”,同时或许可以知晓究竟用了什么样的方法(工艺)制作的。