Standard Samples from Micro to Nano

[SteveSeddio]

Hi friends,

Does anyone have any experience using standards from the supplier Micro to Nano?
https://www.microtonano.com/EM-Tec-CXS-calibration-and-reference-standards-for-EDS-WDS-and-BSD.php

A colleague is considering them.

Thanks,
-Steve

[Probeman]

Hi friends,

Does anyone have any experience using standards from the supplier Micro to Nano?
https://www.microtonano.com/EM-Tec-CXS-calibration-and-reference-standards-for-EDS-WDS-and-BSD.php

A colleague is considering them.

Thanks,
-Steve

Well, I for one have a problem with these "standard" materials, because first of all many of these so called "standards" are not actually standards, they are simply various materials that someone has obtained from various sources by various means. I quote from their web site:

The stoichiometric compositions of these natural minerals are nominal; other impurities or small inclusions may be present. Intended as reference standard for quantitative EDS and WDS micro-analysis applications.

So they are "nominal compositions" but intended as "reference standard [sic] for quantitative EDS and WDS micro-analysis applications"?  I can't think of any statement more self contradictory.   

[SteveSeddio]

Thanks for the commentary, Probeman!

[Nicholas Ritchie]

I've been collecting many "pure element" spectra for metrological purposes.  It is surprising to me how many materials sold to me as "pure elements" have a percent or two (or sometimes 20%) of another element.  We don't need six nines pure elements but 3 or 4 would be appreciated. :-)

[Probeman]

I've been collecting many "pure element" spectra for metrological purposes.  It is surprising to me how many materials sold to me as "pure elements" have a percent or two (or sometimes 20%) of another element.  We don't need six nines pure elements but 3 or 4 would be appreciated. :-)

I'm sure you saw the figure from Fournelle showing 3 wt% Fe in what was supposed pure Rh from a commercial "standards" provider?  The figure is in the presentation attached to this post:

https://smf.probesoftware.com/index.php?topic=1535.msg11883#msg11883

[crystalgrower]

No certificates attached to product lists

Grains look small relative to aperture of FC in photos

Their REE materials include some that have always come up very inhomogeneous

No word on how they make their FC

Do I need to say more?

[Probeman]

Speaking of elemental standard purity, I found this paper from 2009:

"Purity determination as needed for the realisation of primary standards for elemental determination: status of international comparability"

See attached for pdf.