SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) week 8
Figure 1. PVC 3 under SEM
            This week the research team finally got to see the microplastics in a scanning electron microscope. Even though I don’t know much details on how the SEM works, I know it uses beams of electrons to produce the image (figure 1). The type of plastic the research team put under the electron microscope was the PVC 3 just because of its hardened nature. As shown in figure one, every detail of the PVC plastic is observed.
         
Figure 2. LPDE/SPI 4, PVC/SPI 3 on a hot-plate stirrer
   Enough about the SEM. The team also had a chance to evaporate the remaining 100% isopropanol from the remaining plastics (LPDE/SPI 4, PVC/SPI 3) left under the fume hood (more information in week 7 of my blog). Evaporating the 100% isopropanol will take time, so we came up with an idea to heat the glass on a hot-plate stirrer (figure 2), which made our “Evaporating” job very easy.

Comments

  1. Oh wow!!!!!! The Electron Microscope is so amazing! It turned this PVC into and art piece for sure!!!!!!! I am wondering if you can show me the basics of how to use the Electron Microscope. I remember hearing about this type of microscope in chemistry class and biology class. It is exciting to see an image of a material under the Electron Microscope!!!

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