Bones consist of mainly light elements i.e. the errors are quite big. For a qualitative check I would assume that measurements on flat surfaces will work but bones have pores so that any applied correction might be speculative. All other elements like Cu, Fe, Sr , Ba etc are possibly only in traces detectable. EDS is not the first choice for that (even not the second...). I do not see the point of the powder. As far as I know, EDS requires a microscopically flat surface in order to prevent secondary effect from other positions. The same for microprobe.

There are several papers which report about the measurement of bones. I would recommend to look in medical journals.

If I would get such request I would reject it...

Well, I thought exactly the same :D - to reject, but I have a problem with saying just "no".

I/they thought there could also be some collaboration with the institute from where that "guy" comes from...

Moreover, when the question/request was made, it was almost like an official visitation with many other "guys" from that institute, alongside with our head of other department and others...so I was not the one to say no.

But I told them, that if any qualitative analysis is possible it will be very limited.

But back to the point, I examined in the area of interest today - bone surface near haversian canals/system, and the only (at least reasonably traceable) elements that I found are Mn and Fe. And of course, lots of Ca and P.

Any other ideas? What is the best way to make a thin sample from a bone? Just chip off a piece with a scalpel/razor or saw and done?

Any experience with EDS on a bone?

//maybe I can get acces to XRD or Raman but i do not think it will help

If I had such a sample I would ask whether the distribution of these elements has any importance (do these "guys" need to know where enriched in certain elements areas lay in the sample). If no - then the best way is to perform ICP-AES or ICP-MS for trace elements, XRF for heavy elements and do not use SEM. If they need distribution and quantitative analysis in SEM you may try to cut bone and prepare thin section or (less preferable) polished section of bone using epoxy. If you are going to try to prepare such a sample I can describe the process in details.

Hello Vladimir,

I do not recall that I personally know anyone who uses plasma coupled spectrophotometry but I know that Institute of geology in my city should have something like this. If analysis fails, I may recommend them.

I do not think they need to know the exact location of these elements. The only thing that may matter is the location of Strontium but it should only be found in haversian systems as a replacement of Calcium.

There was no request for areal or volumetric distribution.

But at least, I want to try it. Can you describe the preparation process, please?

There are several preparation ways which can be called "fixing in hard matrix". The easiest and undemanding (to my opinion) is to make polished section in epoxy resin.

First of all you need an epoxy resin and hardener. Usual epoxy from hardware store is applicable (with certain limitations). Howewer using epoxy designed for scientific needs (e.g. Struers EpoFix or analogue) is easier and gives better result. If you have some contacts with people performing sample prep for geological samples you may ask them about epoxy (or even to ask them to prepare your sample).

P.S. If you did not work with this epoxy before you should previously try to make an empty sample to check how does it harden.

Then, you have to cut your sample. The flatter will be cut - the easier will be following work. After cutting you can grind the bone on a coarse sandpaper a little to flatten the surface. Avoid using dirty tools or you will get unexpected results!

Then wash and dry the sample. Put a piece of double-sided sticky tape on a flat surface (usually glass is used) and place flat side of your sample on it. Place a plastic ring around your sample (I use rings cut from silion hose) and prepare epoxy with hardener. The component ratio is usually written on a bottle. Mix it properly! Then pour it into the ring (for porous samples you can put a few drops of mixed epoxy directly to the surface of your sample to fill the pores and only then put it on a tape). Epoxy loses viscosity with temperature so you can warm it up to 50C for better result. It will harden in a day, but for further preparation it will be ready after 3-4 days.

P.S. If you grease inner surface of the ring with a small amount of silicon lubricant you can remove the ring easily.

After 3 days unstick the sample from base and ring (it can be hard, be careful!), wash it from silicon lubricant and sticky tape's glue. Then grind it on sandpapers (e.g. from 240 to 1200) and polish until you get good surface (e.g. on diamond 6, 3, 1 microns).

Here it is written how to make polished sections:

https://davehirsch.com/other/thinsections/

Thank You very much :) I will post results in a week, maybe two.

Interesting discussion,

I am not in hard material analysis. but I guess, small piece of bone can cut by microtome or vibrotom for few micron thick section, it would work with SEM.

FIB would be better technique to do this kind of sample, you can do elemental analysis layer by layer on samples, just thought.

@ Ravindra Thakkar:

Very interesting suggestion, might try the microtome as well.