Ceramic materials,with excellent high-temperature resistance, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance, are widely used in aerospace, electronics, machinery, and other fields. Recent trends focus on high-performance, multifunctional, and intelligent development. SEM plays a vital role in ceramic research by enabling observation of microstructure, grain size, and morphology; analysis of impurity distribution and fracture surface characteristics. When combined with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), qualitative and quantitative elemental analysis could be conducted. It provides crucial technical support for optimizing ceramic performance and developing new ceramics.
The particle shape, size, composition, and surface and internal structure of powders are their key physical characteristics, which directly influence their flow, compaction, sintering, and other properties. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), with its high-resolution imaging capability, can clearly reveal the surface morphology and microstructure of powder particles, analyse particle size distribution, shape regularity, and surface defects. Combined with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), it can also perform qualitative and quantitative analysis of the chemical composition of particles, revealing the distribution of different elements within the particles. Additionally, techniques such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM) can further examine the internal crystal structure and defect types of powder particles, providing support for optimising powder preparation processes and enhancing material performance.
Composite materials with physical effects like light, electricity, heat, and magnetism have complex structures and compositions, often requiring observation under varying physical conditions. For example, thermoelectric materials generate an electric potential difference under a temperature gradient, while piezoelectric materials produce charge under mechanical stress. SEM, coupled with EDS and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), can visually reveal the microstructure of these materials, such as phase distribution and defects. Additionally, by using in-situ heating or loading devices, researchers can observe the structural evolution of materials under thermal, mechanical, and other physical fields in real-time within the SEM. This enables a deeper understanding of their physical mechanisms, providing robust support for optimizing material performance and developing new applications.
The performance of carbon materials is closely linked to their surface microstructure. Features like pores, functional groups, and defects directly influence adsorption capacity, catalytic activity, and chemical stability. SEM clearly reveals these surface characteristics, offering essential guidance for optimizing surface structure to meet specific application needs, thereby advancing their widespread use in energy storage, catalysis, and environmental remediation.
Microstructural observation and compositional analysis are indispensable in studying the performance and improving the processing of magnetic materials. Microstructure affects magnetic domain structure and anisotropy, while compositional uniformity and impurity content directly determine magnetic properties. SEM clearly reveals microstructural features like grain size, phase distribution, and defects, providing robust support for optimizing manufacturing processes and enhancing performance stability. This aids in achieving breakthroughs for high-performance magnetic materials in electronic devices, new energy, and other fields.
Nanomaterials have recently demonstrated immense application potential across various fields including semiconductors, energy storage, catalysis, biomedicine, and environmental remediation. SEM is critically important in nanomaterials research. It enables direct observation of nanostructures, including particle size, distribution, uniformity, and agglomeration. Combined with EDS, SEM also allows for micro-area compositional analysis to determine chemical makeup. These capabilities provide vital technical support for R&D, performance optimization, and application of nanomaterials.
As a core technology in modern chemical industry, catalysts are widely used in petrochemicals, new energy development, environmental protection, etc., with trends towards diversification and refinement. As performance demands increase, catalyst R&D increasingly relies on advanced characterization techniques. SEM, with its high-resolution imaging capability, clearly observes and studies catalyst particle shape, size, distribution, and surface microstructure, offering significant support for performance optimization and application expansion.
