Aspex Personal Scanning Electon Microscope with Energy Dispersive Spectrometer
We received our Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) in early 2003 and are now using it routinely for casework. My training included working with the supervisor of the SLED Trace Lab for several days, three days onsite training from the instrument manufacturer and countless hours of running and processing test samples. The only application for SEM work in Greenville at this time is Gunshot Residue analysis. Gunshot Residue particles are approximately 1 to 10 microns in diameter, are round and contain Lead (Pb), Barium (Ba) and Antimony (Sb). Gunshot residue is the only source for particles that contain all three of these. A micron is one millionth of a meter or one thousandth of a millimeter. That description doesn't really help most people understand how small it really is. The following link uses a penny to help you get a better idea of what a micron really is.
