title: A new method for preparing powders for transmission electron microscopy examination.
abstract: In this paper we describe a novel method to prepare powder specimens for transmission electron microscopy examination. The powder samples are embedded in a metallic matrix by a route based on the plastic flow of a soft metal, using a small laboratory type hand driven hydraulic press. The resulting composites are processed with the conventional procedure based on grinding polishing and ion beam milling. The resulting TEM specimens have a self-supporting structure, good thermal and electrical conductivity while showing a well-polished surface resulting from the ion milling process. The method can be applied to a large variety of samples with sufficiently strong mechanical properties; a few examples are reported. The limits, mainly due to the mechanical toughness of the powder, are discussed.
authors.affiliation: ENEA, Unità Materiali e Nuove Tecnologie, C.R. Casaccia, C.P. 2400, 00100 Roma AD, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Montone
authors.forename: M Vittori
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Antisari
mesh_terms: D003300:Copper / Q000737:chemistry; D058085:Iron Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D017616:Magnesium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008867:Microtomy; D011208:Powders / Q000032:analysis*; D017640:Silicates / Q000737:chemistry; D012834:Silver / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D058085:Iron Compounds; D017616:Magnesium Compounds; D011208:Powders; D017640:Silicates; D012834:Silver; D003300:Copper; C034475:olivine