Mass loss of wood and its components during transmission electron microscopy

Abstract
The loss of mass of wood and its polymeric constituents in transmission electron microscopy has been determined by measurement of the decrease in the continuum x‐ray intensity for various doses of irradiation. It was found that for doses higher than 5 × 10−8 C/μm2, 42% of the original mass of the wood remained on the grid. The corresponding percentages for cellulose, xylan, and lignin were 32, 45, and 70, respectively. The significance of these results in the use of transmission electron microscopy for imaging and for quantitative microbeam analysis is discussed.