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ActLabs: Mineral Liberation Analyzer / GeometallurgyI would like to let the readers and participants of GHBN know that Activation Labs has recently acquired a state of the art Scanning Electron Microscope with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). This instrument has a magnification capability of up to 100,000 times and is able to locate and identify many elements and species simultaneously. Detection and semi-quantitative analysis of elements heavier than carbon can be performed. This type of technology can be applied in numerous fields and disciplines as outlined below:
1. Nano technology: We can see the shape of sub micron particles. Take pictures of anything in the field. Find out the elemental composition of specific areas and detectable constituent grains or particles.
2. Medical Devices: medical devices can be examined at the sub micron level. Maybe you are experiencing problems with the new items being built or a bolt is not staying fixed to where it should be. There may be corrosion in certain unwelcomed area. All of these can be examined for troubleshooting and diagnosis
3. Materials: Polymer and composites are critical to drug development. Polymers can regulate the rate of drug availability and even create a substrate to hold and release active materials in inaccessible locations. Our high resolution microscope will allow you to study micro- to nano-scale morphological and particle size variance.
4. Pharmaceutical: As we all know, the smaller the particles, the greater the surface area. Pharmaceutical companies can improve drug availability, especially with insoluble drugs by micronization (creating very small particles) This technology will allow you to see the shape and the size of some incredibly small particles. Take pictures and rationally interpret and understand particle size distribution measurements.
5. Failure analysis and provenance/source inspection: Many of the features enabling resolution of the abovementioned examples can also assist troubleshooting and forensic-style inspection to determine why something did not do what it should have done. Corrosion sources can be spotted before they present an overwhelming and deleterious source of contamination. Quality control and monitoring in the jet-engine, gunshot residue and food production industries all use a similar approach, and our SEM is capable of enhanced resolution.
6. Geology and Mining: The system has a long history of development in exploration to mining, and the high resolution of this particular unit has recently expanded the capabilities to what is essentially ‘micro-prospecting’ for precious metal minerals in rocks and processed products. Employing the features and routines established in this industry, minerals or particles carrying chemicals of concern (e.g. As, Bi, Hg and other toxins) can be studied at nano-scale resolution.
As the age-old adage goes: A picture says a 1000 words.
posted: 8/6/2009
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