ABSTRACT
In transmission electron microscopes high energy electrons pass through a thin sample (a cross-section in the case of paper analysis) and as a result of interactions with the solid lose a fraction of their incident energy. Using an electron energy loss spectrometer (EELS) the transmitted electrons are dispersed according to their energy and their energy loss distribution retrieved. This chapter gives a brief introduction to the technique by presenting some background information on the physical processes involved, the relevant instrumentation required, the available methods of quantification for chemical analysis, the origins of spectroscopic information and some examples of applications relevant to paper science. It focuses on the basic background of the technique and illustrate the application of the method to problems related to paper science so that potential users can judge the effectiveness of EELS in solving particular characterization problems.
