Our state-of-the-art 'natural' scanning electron microscope helps CSIRO to develop new high-tech materials.
CSIRO’s material characterisation expertise helps improve product performance and resilience across a range of product types and operating conditions.
Materials characterisation is the detailed study of a material’s structure and performance. It helps us to understand the nature or origins of a material and how to improve its performance and usability.
Fibrous materials characterisation
CSIRO can examine the features, composition, structure, and defects of fibrous materials.
“Our new scanning electron microscope is special because it looks at samples that still contain water. Previously, samples had to be dried and that could change how they looked.”
Mr Colin Veitch,
Electron Microscopist
This information can be used to:
We use modern electron and optical microscopy to study materials where the problem is invisible to the naked eye.
Our highly skilled microscopy unit uses state of the art microscopes both electron and optical with imaging and analysis facilities to solve a vast range of problems.
Our areas of expertise
Our areas of expertise include:
-
structure and properties of textile fibres and hair
-
optical microscopy
-
Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analytical microscopy
-
Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) analytical microscopy
-
fibre chemistry and fibre physics
-
characterisation of fibre surface structure
-
evaluation of surface treatments
-
identification and analysis of surface coatings, plasticisers and similar additives
-
chemical spectroscopy, chemical, thermal and mechanical analysis
-
analysis applied to textile problems
-
the bonding of polymers to the surface of natural fibres
-
identification of materials and contaminants
-
monitoring effects of chemical and physical treatments on fibre properties
-
testing of physical fabric properties.
Our facilities
The facilities at the CSIRO site in Geelong include:
-
Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)
-
Backscattered Electron Imaging (BSI)
-
Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM)
-
Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDXS)
-
Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (EELS)
-
Optical Microscopy (OM)
-
Scanned Probe Microscopy (SPM)
-
Microtomes and Ultramicrotomes.
What we provide and interpret
We can provide and interpret:
-
low to high magnification images
-
elemental and compound analyses
-
chemical and mechanical treatments
-
wettability measurements
-
surface roughness and topographic profiles
-
surface friction maps
-
plasma-etched/modified surfaces
-
image analysis/particle size distributions
-
identification of contaminants
-
tensile properties under controlled conditions
-
polymer cross-link density and crystallinity
-
micro-mechanical properties
-
thermal properties
-
colloidal particle size and charge.
How we use electron microscopy for fibrous materials characterisation
One of the critical aspects of materials characterisation is to be able to visualise the external and sometimes internal structure of the sample.
Electron microscopes (EM) allow this visualisation to occur at very high resolution.
EM is primarily divided into two separate techniques:
-
Scanning EM (SEM)
-
Transmission EM (TEM).
With both of these techniques, not only can the structure of the sample be imaged, compositional and crystallographic information can be determined as well.
New scanning electron microscope
We have installed a new 'natural' scanning electron microscope with a resolution of 1.5 nm at the CSIRO Geelong site.
The microscope is the only one of its type in the country and one of a few in the world.
'It’s special,' says CSIRO’s Electron Microscopist Mr Colin Veitch 'because it looks at samples that still contain water. Previously, samples had to be dried and that could change how they looked.'
The samples are frozen to -15 °C and kept at that temperature while being scanned by a hot beam of electrons.
Objects as small as a one hundred thousandth of a millimetre can be investigated.
'A speck on the back of a dust mite looks big under this microscope,' says Mr Veitch, a microscopist of 20 years.
The microscope will be used to help CSIRO develop new materials, such as eco-friendly fibres, fabric batteries that can be part of a piece of clothing, desalination membranes and carbon nanofibres for new high strength fabrics.
It can also be used to examine the features, composition, structure and defects of materials. 'We can then use this information to identify new uses for existing materials, create new materials and improve processing and manufacturing techniques.'
It will also be available for access by scientists, universities, industry and elsewhere.
Ford Motor Company and Food Science Australia are already making use of the instrument.
Outputs
We provide high quality output on glossy or high quality paper for internal and external clients, as well as electronic output in TIFF or JPEG format.
Print our Microscopy information sheet.
Site Map | Legal Notice and Disclaimer | Privacy | Copyright | Last updated: 2 March 2009
