Original Date: 11/03/1996
Revision Date: 01/18/2007

Oak Ridge's Y-12 Plant Analytical Services provide a comprehensive array of testing equipment. For example, the Analytical Digital Scanning Microscope is equipped with a large analytical chamber capable of handling specimens eight inches in all three dimensions. Another unique capability, the Surface Multiprobe analyzer, combines X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, Auger Electron Spectroscopy, Secondary Ion/Neutral Mass Spectroscopy, Ion Scattering Spectroscopy, and Thermal Desorption Spectroscope in one vacuum chamber. This capability allows complete microanalysis with the preparation of one sample.

The Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) is another analytical tool that Y-12 has applied in capacities other than the equipment normal use. The FTIR equipment has had attachments configured to allow simultaneous FTIR Gas Chromatography testing while performing infrared (IR) and mass spectral searches through the on-line Sadtler and Sprouse IR libraries and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Mass Spectral Library. Y-12 has over 62,000 Sadtler standard spectra with a search time of less than four minutes. The Y-12 Plant also has an extensive environmental radiometry laboratory consisting of six high resolution gamma-ray detectors, 70 multi-plexed solid-state alpha spectrometers, two autoloading thin-window proportional counters, two NAI (TI) well crystal and one Low Energy Photo Spectroscopy.

The unique aspect to this test equipment capability is the equipment hook-up to an Ethernet network, thereby allowing backup and multiple analysis to occur simultaneously. Therefore, the unique characteristic of the Y-12 facility is not only the number of analytical tools, but also the ability to simultaneously evaluate a sample with complementary analytical tools providing more data. This effort reduces misinterpretation of analysis.

The Y-12 facility is involved with a regional assistance program through the University of Tennessee to allow public use of this Y-12 testing equipment, either through Technical Assistance or Work-for-Others (WFO) programs. There are plans for a larger technology transfer program which will broaden the consortium for law enforcement application fingerprinting methods, and cover a seven state region.

For more information see the Point of Contact for this survey.