paleonet Acid Etching for SEM

["Peg Yacobucci" <mmyacob@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Howdy all,

Here's a question I'm forwarding from a student.

I am looking for microfossils (bacteria, algae, etc.) in travertines.  I
have multiple samples that I want to run under SEM and it has been suggested
that I should acid etch the samples to try to bring out detail in the
fossils.  My questions are:
- What acid should I use?
- What concentration of acid will work without destroying microfossils?
- How (dunking, fumes. etc.) and how long should I expose the samples to the
acid?

Thanks,

Justin Richardson
Dept. of Geology
Bowling Green State Univ.