New SEM-cathodoluminescence detector installed

In line with our aim to further enhance and expand the services that we can offer to our clients, we have recently upgraded our Hitachi-S3700N scanning electron microscope (SEM) system by adding a Deben Centaurus cathodoluminescence detector (CL). The new detector will be operated primarily on polished thin-sections, in conjunction with our existing secondary (SE) and backscattered (BSE) electron imaging capabilities, as well as quantitative EDS data acquisition for precise chemical analysis.The CL detector will be particularly useful in the detailed petrographic analysis of clastic reservoir rocks, especially where quartz grain surfaces are poorly defined in transmitted light microscopy, removing the associated uncertainties regarding quartz cement abundance. The additional tool will benefit both qualitative reservoir rock analysis and modal data acquisition, including Touchstone-compliant calibration data. For example, we are now able to offer the acquisition of quartz cement data directly on SEM-CL images, in addition to the more broadly used data collection under transmitted light