Preparation and Examination of Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) SpecimensCX(s) Applied: B3.6Date: 05/25/2011Location(s): Aiken, South CarolinaOffice(s): Environmental Management, Savannah River Operations Office
Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance
May 25, 2011
Estimated Read Time min
CX(s) Applied: B3.6
Date: 05/25/2011
Location(s): Aiken, South Carolina
Office(s): Environmental Management, Savannah River Operations Office
Thin foil transmission electron microscopy (TEM) specimens will be prepared from both "clean" and radioactive stainless steels, other Iron-based alloys, MAXPhase materials (Ti3SiC2), and Aluminum alloys. TEM samples will be prepared by sectioning (cutting and grinding) bulk specimens into thin "sheets" of about 0.01 centimeters in thickness. These sheets are punched into 0.03 centimeter diameter disks and subsequently electropolished to produce electron transparent regions for TEM analysis. This work is performed in Monosodium Titanate laboratories C-106/110, C-111, and C-124. The work performed in C-124 is limited to cutting and grinding clean material. All electropolishing is done in the perchloric acid fume hood (washdown hood) in C-111 and all microscopy is performed in C-104.