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Novel Technology for X‐ray Mapping of Ceramic Microstructures
Author(s) -
Friel John J.,
Greenhut Victor A.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
journal of the american ceramic society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.9
H-Index - 196
eISSN - 1551-2916
pISSN - 0002-7820
DOI - 10.1111/j.1151-2916.1997.tb03251.x
Subject(s) - microstructure , ceramic , scanning electron microscope , materials science , resolution (logic) , composite number , x ray , phase (matter) , analytical chemistry (journal) , ceramic matrix composite , optics , composite material , physics , chemistry , computer science , chromatography , quantum mechanics , artificial intelligence
Field‐emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) was coupled with a technology called position‐tagged spectrometry (PTS) to characterize the microstructure of a ceramic‐matrix composite at the submicrometer level. Low‐voltage microscopy with an FESEM microscope achieves both high‐resolution imaging of uncoated ceramic specimens and submicrometer X‐ray resolution with minimal specimen charging. The PTS technology involves scanning the electron beam and collecting X‐rays, as in mapping; however, in this case, the X‐ray photons are tagged with position information. X‐ray maps and full spectra were reconstructed from discrete parts of the composite. The distribution of oxygen within the fibers was measured and found to decrease from the surface to the interior. The composition and phase distribution of the matrix were also revealed at high resolution, and the phase compositions were quantified.