Some techniques in analytical optical microscopy

Facilities for analytical optical microscopy provide a useful addition to the range of techniques employed. The crucial part of the analysis of unknown samples is often the preliminary examination. For solid samples, optical microscopy is often the best approach to the preliminary examination because of the morphological details revealed: alternatively, microscopy is useful in confirming the presence of particular compounds suspected from results of other techniques. The microscopical facilities described are built around a Vickers M41 Photoplan microscope fitted for transmitted and incident light, polarized light, dispersion staining and camera optics.