Practical Aspects of Preparing Thin Sections From Catalyst Specimens

Abstract

Transmission electron microscopy is an important technique for catalyst characterization. The thin-sectioning technique has been recognized as the preferable specimen preparation method in most cases. The merit of this technique has been discussed in a number of publications. It has been applied to catalysts containing alumina, carbon, silica, and zeolites. In this paper, we present the practical aspects we have found for obtaining high quality thin sections consistently.Requirements1.The sections should be mechanically and electrically stable under the electron beam.2.They should be as thin as possible in order to achieve the highest image resolution permitted by the instrument.3.The results should be readily reproducible so that comparison between similar samples can be made easily.4.The number of artifacts (e.g., those arising from shatter marks, knife marks, and thickness variations) should be minimized.