Applied Chemical and Morphological Analysis Laboratory Newsblog

Author: Elizabeth Miller

Learn How to Break The Ice and Analyze Frozen Samples with Cryo-SEM Training

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Image of a snowflake under a Cryo-scanning electron microsope.
Image taken by Joey Tomei, Masters Student and ACMAL staff, on Apreo2

ACMAL staff and guests alike are making the decision to get trained on the Cryo-SEM. Getting trained on these instruments allows for the opportunity to use a scanning electron microscope to analyze frozen samples. A wide range of sample types can be used with this instrument including magnetic materials, powders, and biological materials. Using this method to examine biological material samples can be especially efficient because freezing them can leave them in a closer to natural state. In the most recent training, snowflakes were used as samples (as pictured). 

Visit the Applied Chemical and Morphological Analysis Laboratory’s webpage to learn more about our shared facility and instruments available to the Michigan Tech research community.

To book a Cryo-SEM session or discuss a potential project contact: Elizabeth Miller – ACMAL Director Email: eafraki@mtu.edu.

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Welcome Joey Tomei

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Joey Tomei
Joey Tomei

ACMAL is pleased to welcome Joey Tomei to the ACMAL team as a full-time Research Engineer I.

Joey completed his BS in material science and engineering from MTU in 2023 and is currently completing his MS in material science and engineering. During his graduate studies, he investigated biodegradable magnesium alloys for cardiovascular implants. He worked with SEM, EDS, EBSD, XRD, and TEM to characterize these alloys. He has also worked on the ICON Olympus Off Planet Construction project where he characterized simulated lunar soils using XRD and SEM techniques. His areas of expertise include characterization of anorthite minerals, sample preparation, XRD analysis, and SEM imaging and analysis. When he’s not working, he enjoys exploring the Copper Country on his mountain bike or skis.

Please contact Joey for help with SEM, XRD,or sample preparation.

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ACMAL HOLIDAY HOURS

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ACMAL will be closed next week on Thursday, July 4th, in observance of the holiday.

Please note the following availability of our team members during that week:

  • I will be out of the office all week.
  • Erico is still on leave in Brazil.
  • Ed will be available Monday through Wednesday.
  • Izzy will be available Monday through Wednesday, and possibly Friday.
  • Tim will be available by appointment.
  • Cooper will be available on Monday and Tuesday.
  • Alyssa will be available on Monday.

Plan accordingly for any deadlines or projects that may be affected by the closure. If you have any urgent matters that require attention, please reach out to the respective available team members listed above.

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ACMAL Billing System Update

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Dear ACMAL Users,

I hope this message finds you well. We wanted to inform you of an upcoming change regarding the billing and usage tracking system for all ACMAL instruments. Starting from July 1st, we will be transitioning to a new system called FOM (Facility Online Management) for managing these aspects.

To access the new FOM system, you can log in online at fom.mtu.edu with your SSO credentials. Please note that to log in, you must be connected to the MTU internet network. Alternatively, you can utilize the Big Edge IP client to access the system from home. Please refer to the user guide below for more information.

FOM Internal User Guide Draft 3

We understand that transitions like this may raise questions or require some adjustments. To assist you with this transition, we will be hosting information sessions June 26th and 27th. These sessions will provide an overview of the new system, address any concerns you may have, and offer guidance on navigating the transition smoothly.

  • Session 1 – Wednesday June 26th, 1-2pm in M&M 610 or via Zoom
  • Session 2 – Thursday June 27th, 11am – noon in M&M 610 or via Zoom

Thank you for your attention to this matter. If you have any immediate questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Best,
Liz

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Hitachi FESEM – Maintenance done – good practice

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Hi FESEM users,

The Hitachi service engineer did the year’s maintenance on the FESEM this past Monday and Tuesday 5/20 and 5/21.

1) He fixed the spring on the stage where we slid the specimen mount in. It was loose and that was causing some vibration. We should not see less jiggling images at higher magnification.

2) He did the full column alignment. From now on, use the software only when you do the alignments. Do not change the physical knobs of the apertures.

3) The beam monitor aperture is set at position 2, and should be kept at 2 !!!

4) If you ever need to change the objective aperture, only use the knob to switch between apertures 1, 3, or 4. Do not use aperture 2.

Objective aperture sizes: 1 > 3 = 2 > 4

Attn.: Objective apertures 2 and 3 have the same size. We exchange them annually when one or the other gets dirty. This year we are using 3.

Remember: Home stage position is: X=Y=Z=12.5 mm, Tilt = 0, Rotation = 0

Please, let me know if you still experience any problems.

Erico Freitas

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