The difference is huge! With SEM you can determine the morphological aspects of your sample (shape, size of particles), with EDAX you have information on the chemical composition of your sample. The instrument is the same for both analysis, so the information can be complementary. The choice of one or another depends on your needs.

SEM is an imaging method using electrons

EDAX (or EDS) is an x-ray spectroscopic method for determining elemental compositions. It can be used with/during imaging in SEM, TEM etc. When done in an SEM instrument, signal can be acquired from a spot, an area, a line profile or a 2D map

In typical setups and measurements, imaging in SEM would have a significantly better spacial resolution than an EDAX measurement, due to different mechanisms of signal generation in the different methods

Other than that, the question is very broad and I suggest focusing it to a specific experiment and/or consulting textbooks for materials characterization techniques.

The difference is huge! With SEM you can determine the morphological aspects of your sample (shape, size of particles), with EDAX you have information on the chemical composition of your sample. The instrument is the same for both analysis, so the information can be complementary. The choice of one or another depends on your needs.

SEM provides surface and cross-sectional information of the material whereas EDAX represents its  chemical composition 

 All the learned people are correct, Yet I suggest to Dr. Jaiganesh Sir, to concern a text book for more detail

 In SEM analysis we view the surface morphology and can calculate grain size but in case of EDAX is an elemental analysis and we can analyze the chemical components in a material under SEM.

 Vijay k mishra had given a good suggestion about it.

Using EDAX, elemental analysis can be carried out.

Using EDAX, the presence of elements can be identified.

SEM is used for understanding the surface morphology like its grain size, shape, etc.

Both of these techniques are used for characterization of the different material samples. SEM (scanning electron microscopy) is used for morphological analysis of the samples, which produces images of samples by scanning it with a focussed beam of electrons. With the aid of this technique, it is possible to investigate various characteristics of your sample such as size and shape of particles.

The EDAX, popularly known as Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy technique, is used for identification of different elements present in the sample. Therefore, this can be used for studying the composition of the samples.   

Generally, both of these techniques are used in combination by the material scientists to characterize different types of samples.

SEM and EDAX  analysed using the same instruments.

SEM  gives morphological aspects of  the samples

EDAX gives an information on the chemical composition of the samples

SEM & EDAX both gives the bulk elemental composition respectively surface cross sectional morphology & elemental compositional .

Both techniqueis is complement each other on favors of material scientists.

Dear Venu Jaiganesh,

SEM is a method for high-resolution imaging of surfaces which gives information about the sample's surface topography and composition.

SEM analysis produce a two-dimensional image & gives information about the sample including external morphology (texture), chemical composition when used with the EDS feature and orientation of materials making up the sample.

EDS is a chemical microanalysis method used in conjunction with SEM analysis to determine elements in or on the surface of the sample for qualitative information. It also measures elemental composition for semi-quantitative results & identifies foreign substances that are not organic in nature.

With Best Regards,

Samir G. Pandya

Dear all,

in my opinon the correct answer should be:

SEM - Scanning electron microscopy - method of surface imaging by means of a beam of accelerated electrons, detecting the electrons that collided the surface and came to an imaging detector.

SEM microscope is an equipment based on this principle.

There are different types of detectors. One of them is EDS detector.

EDS (sometimes EDX) - Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy - method of obtaining an information on the elemental analysis and it is not not chemical - it is physical - by the energy spectrum.

EDS detector is an equipment based on this principle.

EDAX - a big manufacturer of special equipment for SEM microscopes, for example imaging detectors, EDS detectors or EBSD detectors and developer of other special hardware and software).

Regards,

All previous answers explain a lot and the technique which you should use is strongly correlated with your research needs.

EDAX is used for the compositional or elemental analysis of a material whereas SEM images are used to analyse the surface morphology, agglomeration tendency and size of the particles.

SEM analyzes the morphology of the specimen by the back scattered electron beam while EDAX is based X ray excitation of a sample for elemental analysis .

EDAX used for elemental composition present in sample and SEM used to analyse surface morphology and to calculate grain size of particles.

in SEM, we determine the morphology, microstructure, particle size of samples. On the basis of EDAX we discuss the physical properties and the tye of process that has occured while sample formation. in EDAX we compositionally verify samples.And the reflections corresponding to particular elements in the sample

sorry

in SEM, we determine morphology, microstructure and particle size.On the basis of SEM, we dicuss nature of sample interms of its physical properties and the process that has occured while sample preparation vz segregation, agglomeration etc.While in EDAX we verify the composion of sample that halps us to conclude our results. In EDAX, the energy reflection peaks are as per the composion and hence concentration.

In addition to above mentioned answers, it should be noted that the main difference is in the detector types. In SEM, SED (Secondary Electrons Detector) or BSED ( Back Scatter Electron Detector) is used for imaging the surface morphology; while in EDAX, XRD (X-Ray Detectors) is used to investigate the elemental composition. another difference could be in the type of electron beam generator and beam energy.

SEM is a method for high-resolution imaging of surfaces which gives information about the morphology of the specimen

EDAX is used for the elemental analysis of a material

Dear all,

please correct if I am wrong, but there is no EDAX analysis.

Please go to their official site edax.com

EDAX is a leading provider of innovative materials characterization systems encompassing Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD), Wavelength Dispersive Spectrometry (WDS), Micro X-ray Fluorescence (Micro-XRF), and X-ray Metrology.

EDAX products include stand alone tools, integrated tools for EDS-EBSD, EDS-WDS, and EDS-EBSD-WDS, and a free-standing Micro-XRF bench-top elemental analyzer providing small and micro-spot X-ray analysis and mapping.

EDAX develops the best solutions for micro- and nano-characterization, where elemental and/or structural information is required, making analysis easier and more accurate.

EDAX designs, manufactures, distributes and services products for a broad range of industries, educational institutions and research organizations.

Anton Pshenichnikov , the clarifications you made on SEM/EDAX is outstanding. So, I picked that you mean EDAX is an incorporated/added function to SEM to make us get information on quantitative elemental analysis by the energy spectrum physically.

SEM used to obtain information about the surface morphology, topography and composition. An Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analyzer (EDX or EDA) is also used to provide elemental identification and quantitative compositional information.

EDAX is a leading provider of innovative materials characterization systems encompassing Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD), Wavelength Dispersive Spectrometry (WDS), Micro X-ray Fluorescence (Micro-XRF), and X-ray Metrology.

EDAX products include stand alone tools, integrated tools for EDS-EBSD, EDS-WDS, and EDS-EBSD-WDS, and a free-standing Micro-XRF bench-top elemental analyzer providing small and micro-spot X-ray analysis and mapping.

EDAX develops the best solutions for micro- and nano-characterization, where elemental and/or structural information is required, making analysis easier and more accurate.