Imaging Analysis
Using cutting-edge technology to obtain higher magnifications of the sample image capturing precise visuals and measurements down to the nanometer scale.
Imaging Analysis
Using cutting-edge technology to obtain higher magnifications of the sample image capturing precise visuals and measurements down to the nanometer scale.
© Ian Valiente Photography
Particle Analysis of Taal Volcanic Ash
Magnified 25,000 times using our Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy, here is a FESEM image of the Taal Volcanic Ash that settled in Taguig City.
Taal Volcanic Ash was collected from Carmona, Cavite and subjected to EDX Elemental Mapping. Elements identified and their corresponding relative abundances (Wt%) are shown below:
- Oxygen (O) - 44.04
- Silicon (S) - 17.64
- Carbon (C) - 14.19
- Iron (Fe) - 6.23
- Aluminum (Al) - 5.92
- Calcium (Ca) - 3.45
- Sodium (Na) - 2.69
- Chlorine (Cl) - 1.41
- Sulfur (S) - 1.34
- Potassium (K) - 1.29
- Magnesium (Mg) - 1.25
- Titanium (Ti) - 0.54
Elemental Composition of Taal Volcanic Ash
Using our optical microscope and ImageJ software, ADMATEL measured the volcanic ash particles which ranged from 1.54 to 191.38 µm — or can be smaller than a red blood cell. In the particle size distribution graph, most particles are smaller than 100 microns to which the surgical mask is no longer capable of blocking.
*Red blood cells are approximately 7.5 to 8.7 µm (Tse WT, Lux SE. Br J Haematol. 1999)
Imaging Analysis of N95 Respirator and Surgical Mask
Here are the micrographs of the N95 respirator and surgical mask taken using ADMATEL’s microscope at 200x magnification. This shows that an N95 respirator is more capable of blocking microscopic volcanic ash particles compared to a surgical mask.
