American Glass Research, a leader in consulting, training and analytical services for the glass packaging industry since 1927, operates laboratories located in Butler, PA and Maumee, OH in the USA and Delft, The Netherlands. American Glass Research is a division of AGR International Inc.
The American Glass Research laboratory in The Netherlands is now home to a new, top-of-class Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Leading-edge work in the field of microscopy is nothing new to the Netherlands. As a matter of fact, the Netherlands is the birthplace of the modern microscope and the very city of Delft is where microscopist Antonie van Leeuwenhoek invented some of the first practical microscopes in the 1700s. The AGR’s Delft laboratory is proud to continue the fine tradition of Dutch microscopy by installing a JEOL IT-510LA scanning electron microscope. This new device goes far beyond the capability of the early microscopes and will allow the Delft lab to provide its European customers with the highest level of analysis and digital data acquisition.
The JEOL IT-510LA represents the first SEM of this model to be installed anywhere in the Netherlands and boasts a magnification capability of up to 300,000X. Equipped with a JEOL Energy Diffractive X-ray Spectrometer (EDX), the SEM will enable the scientists in the Delft lab to perform chemical compositional analysis of glass surfaces/substrates along with point analysis of materials or residues embedded on or within the glass. Enhanced software incorporated in this system harnesses the EDX for constant scanning of the glass surface over the entire field of view. The capability makes it possible to immediately highlight the presence of any foreign materials, facilitating quick and accurate identification.
In addition, the system incorporates a large-sized SEM chamber that allows samples up to 200 millimetres long and 80 millimetres wide to be analysed as well as low vacuum mode which circumvents the need to apply carbon or metal coating. These features permit analysis of samples with minimal alteration, which is an advantage for consumer complaints or product liability cases.
The many advanced features and functions of the new SEM will greatly compliment and expand the capabilities of the Delft lab beyond the routine uses of SEM-EDX for stone identification, fracture diagnosis, and compositional analysis.
Visitors are welcome to the Delft lab to tour the laboratory and observe a demonstration of this new, advanced microscope. To discuss your glass analysis needs or information on how to submit samples for SEM-EDX analysis, please contact American Glass Research at: https://americanglassresearch.com/questions/contact-us.