, says the university purchased a high-resolution transmission electron microscope , a scanning electron microscope , and a focused ion beam secondary electron microscope.
The instrument will also be used to optimise heat treatment of materials, as it can heat the sample up to 1000°C while recording live images of the sample. “With this apparatus, the UFS is the only institution in SA that can perform this function,” says Terblans. He says to install the apparatus, they had to dig a hole of 2m deep in a special room where the machine was to stand. The machine was then mounted on a solid concrete block to minimise vibration. The instrument also acquired a special air conditioner that minimises the movement of air in the room.
Having access to both the HRTEM and the ion-beam secondary electron microscope places the UFS at another level with its research.