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The University of Minnesota Electron Microprobe Lab is a state-of-the-art facility for non-destructive chemical analyses of solids using a JEOL 8900 Electron Probe Microanalyzer. Our electron microprobe is capable of quantitatively measuring the abundance of all elements from Be to U using five automated wavelength-dispersive spectrometers (WDS) and an energy-dispersive spectrometer (EDS) for rapid analyses. The technique combines micron-scale chemical analyses with electron microscopy and is capable of large- and small-scale element mapping of specimens.
With respect to geological research, our microprobe is commonly used for igneous, metamorphic, and experimental petrology as well as mineral investigations and geochronology. In addition to rocks and sediments, we have conducted analyses of metals and alloys, thin films, ceramics, composites, optical fibers, and other artificial materials. More unusual items, including human teeth and archaeological artifacts, have also been analyzed with our microprobe.
Though our lab is part of the Department of Geology & Geophysics, we serve the entire University. Our lab has done analyses for many departments and organizations: Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, the Limnological Research Center, Physics, Chemistry, Anthropology, and more.
We welcome new users from outside the University of Minnesota. We even have users who drive to our laboratory from universities in Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, and the Dakotas! Users can either be trained to use the instrument or have their analyses done for them by lab personnel.
Commercial and industrual use is welcomed. Our lab has experience analyzing artificial materials for various purposes (quality control, product testing, characterization, research and development). Clients have come from numerous industries and research fields (e.g., semiconductors, medical technology, geological exploration, electronics and photonics, chemical and mechanical engineering). Commercial and industrial clients receive priority attention and prompt turn-arounds. Please contact the lab manager for more information and/or view our Uses in Industry page.
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