Friends who use metallographic microscopes know that dirty optical components are a particularly troublesome matter! If not handled properly and cleaned properly, it may lead to the scrapping of this delicate item. Among the components of the microscope, these optical components are probably the most expensive. Also known as optical components.

Whether the metallographic microscope can obtain high-quality microscopic images or not, the cleaning of optical elements is very important.

The optical components of a metallographic microscope, such as color filter blocks and internal optical components, are cleaned by the microscope manufacturer and are not allowed to be touched by users. Other optical components are cleaned by the user themselves, including the front lens of the objective lens; Protect the glass cover of the camera sensor and the surface of the sensor itself; Focusing lens; Eyepiece lenses and other freely accessible glass surfaces. Do you know how these optical components of metallographic microscopes can be spotless? Below, I will share with you some of the experience accumulated by the editor. For your reference!

Cleaning steps:

1、 Positioning pollutants

Firstly, the accurate location of the pollutants should be identified. The dirt on the camera is easy to identify, and the position of pollutants in the image does not change when moving or rotating the camera. It indicates a stain on the camera.

If the position of the pollutant is changing, it indicates that it is located in other optical parts.

Rotate the objective slightly to inspect other components and observe them correctly one by one. For example, when checking the eyepiece, it is recommended to hold the lens and observe it in front of a bright and uniform background. If pollutants move with the inspected component, it is generally recognized that the stains are located on that component.

2、 Remove pollutants

There are various types of pollutants, including loose and non permanent dirt, including impurities such as dust and debris from skin and hair. There are also stubborn dirt, water-soluble, non water-soluble, etc. In practice, the commonly encountered dirt is a mixture of the two.

The purpose of cleaning the metallographic microscope is to restore perfect image quality without damaging the optical components. Therefore, extreme care should be taken during the cleaning process to avoid damaging sensitive microscope optical components.

Identify the dirt and observe carefully to determine the degree of pollution and the type of pollutant. First, remove loose dirt, then remove water-soluble dirt, and then use solvent to remove non water-soluble dirt.

3、 Float dust is removed with a blowing balloon, and solid pollutants are removed with a cleaning solution

If there is only floating dust on the optical components of the metallographic microscope, it is best to blow a balloon with a small lens, which is sufficient to generate the required airflow to remove it. This method is particularly gentle and effectively prevents damage to optical components.

For stubborn dirt, it is forbidden to use friction producing materials such as paper or Microfiber cloth for cleaning. They will damage the lens surface without mercy, causing scratches on the lens surface, causing permanent damage. In addition, it is prohibited to clean when stubborn dirt is dry, as dry dirt particles can also cause damage to the surface of the lens.

Another point to note is that only distilled water, pure solvents, and very clean cleaning tools should be used, and cleaning fluids and qualified medical swabs or pads should always be used to ensure that they are clean enough and free of any impurities. Avoid using ammonium containing solvents as they can damage the anti reflective coating of microscope optical components and cause permanent damage. Acetone solution cannot be used for cleaning as it can damage the plastic components of the microscope.

It is easier to remove water-soluble dirt. A very simple and gentle method is to blow air to the pollutants. The water vapor contained in the breath can play a cleaning role, and then use Cotton wool to wipe the dirt by circling from the center of the dirt to the outside. This is a relatively simple and effective dirt removal method, and it can also avoid its diffusion on the lens.

The last step is the ultimate strategy, which is to avoid generating pollutants during use as much as possible!

After using the metallographic microscope, immediately cover it with a dust cover, and carefully remove any residual immersion oil from the immersion objective.

If you have achieved all the above mentioned items, your optical components of the metallographic microscope will definitely be spotless, and obtaining the best image quality is inevitable.