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Microanalytical Analysis of Nano-Particulate Pressed Pellets made from Manganese Nodules
Manganese nodules have been of both scientific and industrial interest due to their high content of critical metals(i.e. Co, Ni, Zn, Cr, Cu, Pb). The dawn of new microanalytical techniques such as μXRF, LIBS and LA-ICP-MS has opened the possibilities of analysing these samples quantitatively and also visualising the elemental distribution in situ without tedious…
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Work on foraminifera reference material underway
Together with the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) we are developing nano-particulate pressed powder pellets made purely out of foraminifera to be used as a reference material for in situ microanalytical techniques. The starting material is an aliquot, provided by NIOZ, of NFHS-1 (NIOZ Foraminifera House Standard). It stems from a calcareous ooze,…
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Analysis of ablation behaviour with a laser confocal microscope
Ablation-behaviour test of a magnetite nano-pellet using various crater sizes, number of pulses and fluences. Ablation-behaviour test of a magnetite nano-pellet using various crater sizes, number of pulses and fluences. It is apparent, that the surface is extraordinarily smooth and that the laser forms even craters as soon as fluence, number of pulses and spot-size…
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Nano-Pellets as reference materials
A short summary about using nano-pellets as reference materials. The idea to press powders into pellets is not new. Until now it has been necessary to add a binding agent to the form stable pellets. This dilutes the sample and changes the sample-matrix. The innovation behind the nano-pellets is grinding the powders to a grain-size…
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Reference materials for beginners
An insight into the considerations behind the use of a reference material. The thought behind the use of a reference material is simple. It is used as a benchmark in chemical analysis. Most analyses are rather comparative than absolute measurements. The analytical instruments show a relative signal which must be correlated to a known concentration…