TIP-EX, which some people still manage to find a use for, but has absolutely nothing to do with the matter in hand!Bottles with fixing solution (4% glutaraldehyde in veronal-acetone buffer) and buffer solution for washing)Bottle of electrically conducting adhesive for fixing the sample to the stubs.Packaging for bottle of conducting adhesive, with brush for applying it.StubsSome pieces of ore.Special tweezers for handling the stubs.Bottles with 20%, 40%, 60% u. 80% acetone in water and a bottle with 100% acetoneBottles with 20%, 40%, 60% u. 80% acetone in water and a bottle with 100% acetonealuminium-alloy liquid transfer boat for specimen basketsspecimen basketsGlass tanks used for gradually replacing specimen water with acetone. Stub holder.An electric socket. Very useful, but has nothing whatsoever to do with the matter in hand!
 Materials for Fixing, Washing, Drying
and Mounting the Samples
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Following fixing, washing and replacement of specimen water with acetone, the samples are placed in wire specimen holder baskets, which are then placed in the liquid transfer boat. The boat is filled with acetone and inserted into the pressure vessel of the critical point dryer, where the acetone is replaced with liquid carbon dioxide. The temperature is then increased until the critical point is reached, in which state the carbon dioxide is also removed from the sample, leaving it completely dry. 
 
Following critical point drying, each sample is mounted on an aluminium stub using an electrically conducting adhesive (Leitsilber).
 
The samples are now coated with an electrically conducting, ultra thin layer of gold or carbon in a so-called sputter machine.
 
The samples are now ready to be studied in the SEM. To protect them from the detrimental effects of air humitity they must be stored in a desiccator.