Particle preparation for materials analysis (tutorial)

Often, good results in materials analysis depend on good sample preparation. Although sample preparation can often be simple and straightforward, particles sometimes present special challenges. Sometimes just a few tricks make the only difference between the success and failure of sample preparation and analysis. Without adequate insight and care in specimen preparation, there may be loss of sample, over-expended effort and loss of time, contamination (sample or instrument), adverse morphological changes, misrepresentation of elemental composition or phase distribution, and other artifacts. This tutorial will cover a variety of topics dealing with sample preparation methods, the tools, equipment and supplies used, and artifacts primarily of concern to analytical electron beam techniques.The many combinations of numerous parameters that can affect sample treatment and analysis make it difficult to produce a simple flow-chart for sample preparation. Various factors that determine optimal preparation methods include the physical state of the received sample (e.g., bulk, powder or single particle, wet or dry, homogeneous or heterogeneous), and the known chemical properties of the received sample.