Search results for "Electron probe microanalysis"

2015

Molecular clock analyses estimate that crown-group animals began diversifying hundreds of millions of years before the start of the Cambrian period. However, the fossil record has not yielded unequivocal evidence for animals during this interval. Some of the most promising candidates for Precambrian animals occur in the Weng'an biota of South China, including a suite of tubular fossils assigned to Sinocyclocyclicus , Ramitubus , Crassitubus and Quadratitubus , that have been interpreted as soft-bodied eumetazoans comparable to tabulate corals. Here, we present new insights into the anatomy, original composition and phylogenetic affinities of these taxa based on data from synchrotron radiat…

Ceramics from Samshvilde (Georgia): A pilot archaeometric study

2020

Abstract This archaeometric study deals with seven samples of prehistoric pottery and, for the first time in Georgian studies, thirteen samples of glazed medieval pottery. All specimens were collected at Samshvilde, the most remarkable archaeological complex in southern Georgia and believed to represent locally-manufactured products. Two additional samples of raw materials composed of clay, silt, and sand were collected near the site and used to compare composition. Several analytical techniques were applied: Optical Microscopy (OM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Electron Probe Microanalysis (EPMA), X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and X-ray Fluorescence (XRF). The results allowed to build a c…

High spatial resolution analysis of the iron oxidation state in silicate glasses using the electron probe

2018

The iron oxidation state in silicate melts is important for understanding their physical properties, although it is most often used to estimate the oxygen fugacity of magmatic systems. Often high spatial resolution analyses are required, yet the available techniques, such as μrXANES and μMössbauer, require synchrotron access. The flank method is an electron probe technique with the potential to measure Fe oxidation state at high spatial resolution but requires careful method development to reduce errors related to sample damage, especially for hydrous glasses. The intensity ratios derived from measurements on the flanks of FeLα and FeLβ X-rays (FeLβf/FeLαf) over a time interval (time-depend…

Evidence for a biogenic, microorganismal origin of rock varnish from the Gangdese Belt of Tibet

2010

In the present study we examined material from the Ashikule Basin of Tibet. Chemical analyses were performed by use of energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and electron probe microanalysis to clarify whether the varnish layers that had developed on the surface of the rhyolite are indeed composed of varnish bodies and silica glaze. Electron microscopic analyses revealed that the surface of the varnish is covered both by filamentous hyphae bacterial and cocci-shaped forms. Within the varnish mineral layer in those samples two forms of bacteria-like microorganisms exist; cocci as tightly packed bacterial aggregates [within varnish bodies], and bacillus-like microorganisms [within the varnish m…

Study and dating of medieval ceramic tiles by analysis of enamels with atomic absorption spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence and electron probe microana…

2002

Abstract This paper reports an analytical study of enamel on fragments of medieval tiles using atomic spectroscopy techniques — AAS, XRF and SEM/EDX. The samples came from a hermitage in the region of Valencia (Spain) and have different motifs, mainly floral ones in a wide variety of colors. A study of the soluble salts in the biscuits and mortar was carried out using AAS to determine their present capacity to produce efflorescence and the type of efflorescence. XRF was used to identify the oxides responsible for the different colors and the pigments used over large areas of the tiles (white and green). SEM/EDX was used to characterize the white and green and smaller areas of other colors. …

Concept of Biogenic Ferromanganese Crust Formation: Coccoliths as Bio-seeds in Crusts from Central Atlantic Ocean (Senghor Seamount/Cape Verde)

2011

At depths of 2,000 to 3,000 m, seamounts from the Cape Verde archipelago (Central Atlantic Ocean) are largely covered with ferromanganese crusts. Here we studied 60 to 150 mm thick crusts from the Senghor Seamount (depth: 2257.4 m). The crusts have a non lamellated texture and are covered with spherical nodules. The chemical composition shows a dominance of MnO2 (26.1%) and Fe2O3 (38.8%) with considerable amounts of Co (0.74%) and TiO2 (2.1%). Analysis by scanning electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA) revealed a well defined compositional zonation of micro-layers; the distribution pattern of Mn does not match that of Fe. Analysis by high resolution scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed…

The determination of certain major and minor elements in geological samples by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. Some interfer…

2000

Direct ICP-AES measurements of the digested geological standard reference material samples yielded the wrong information about their composition. The differences between certified and measured concentrations of the samples were due to the complicated sample matrix. The measured concentrations can be successfully corrected by using a multiple linear regression technique. The correction is based on the multiple regression line calculated from the analytical results at synthetic mixtures of matrix elements, where concentrations varied on five levels. There were no significant (P = 0.05) differences between certified and measured concentrations in standard reference materials after the correcti…

Localization of Ca(2+)-stores and tissue compartments with a Ca(2+)-binding capacity in the organ of Corti of the guinea-pig by electron energy-loss …

1992

SUMMARY The addition of 10 mM CaCl2 to glutaraldehyde fixative leads to the formation of small electron-dense deposits in the organ of Corti of the guinea-pig. These precipitates are mainly attached to cell membranes in contact with different extracellular lymphatic fluids. A higher number of precipitates is localized in the acellular parts of tectorial and basilar membrane. Electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) was used to determine the elemental composition of the deposits formed. The spectra showed a prominent signal at the Ca2+ L2,3 ionization edge. Oxygen could also be detected in all the precipitates analysed. EELS analysis of mitochondria of the inner and outer hair cells after co…

Possible Ca 2+ -dependent mechanism of apical outer hair cell modulation within the cochlea of the guinea pig

1998

Calcium ions were precipitated with potassium antimonate after injection of the inorganic calcium channel blocker MnCl2 or the inorganic potassium channel blockers BaCl2 or CsCl into the perilymph of the scala vestibuli of the guinea pig. The spatial distribution of the formed histochemical reaction products within the organ of Corti was studied by energy-filtering transmission-electron microscopy. Compared with untreated control ears, the number of the formed precipitates drastically increased at the extracellular side of the lamina reticularis after application of the various inorganic channel blockers. The apical side of the outer hair cells and the intervening Deiter cells were covered …

The removal of sulphate from mine water by precipitation as ettringite and the utilisation of the precipitate as a sorbent for arsenate removal.

2016

Abstract The aim of this research was to investigate sulphate removal from mine water by precipitation as ettringite (Ca6Al2(SO4)3(OH)12·26H2O) and the utilisation of the precipitate as a sorbent for arsenate removal. The mine water sulphate concentration was reduced by 85–90% from the initial 1400 mg/L during ettringite precipitation depending on the treatment method. The precipitation conditions were also simulated with MINEQL + software, and the computational results were compared with the experimental results. The precipitated solids were characterised with X-ray diffraction and a scanning electron microscope. The precipitated solids were tested as sorbents for arsenate removal from the…