Scanning Electron Microscopy and Transmission Electron Microscopy

For more information about available characterization tools visit the Center for Nanostructure Characterization website.

Fiber Optical Microscopy Analysis - RBI Physical Analysis Lab

Pulp and paper samples are disintegrated into segregated fibers which allows optical microscopy analysis to identify fiber species content and pulp type. A typical application is to determine the relative amounts of softwood and hardwood and species of each comprising the paper.  The method follows Tappi T 401. About 0.2 grams of material are required for one analysis. Fiber slurries are placed on a microscope slide, dried, stained, and fiber or vessel features are examined in detail at 100X and 400X  to identify species by comparison with  reference fiber catalogs.  Slides are scanned and fibers  counted by tally to calculate the percentage softwood or hardwood, mechanical or chemical pulp. The method of detailed comparison of fibers can be used to estimate the amount of recycle content.

More information on RBI's Physical Analysis Lab

Georgia Tech Research Institute Materials Analysis Center

The Materials Analysis Center (MAC) of the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) has provided more than 59 years of research support and project leadership in the area of materials characterization. This group has a wide range of experience and varied expertise and, as such, is well qualified to select the proper analytical tools and methodology for most materials characterization problems. Our research staff consistently strives to produce the most accurate data utilizing cutting edge methods and state-of-the-art instrumentation. The MAC annually evaluates samples and manages research projects for hundreds of corporations and agencies.