Measuring the Degree of Elemental Mapping in Scanning Electron Microscope and Energy Dispersive Spectrometer Images

Elemental mapping provides critical insights into the spatial distribution of elements in complex materials. This study develops a novel methodology to quantitatively evaluate the degree of homogeneity in Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) elemental maps of samples containing both light and heavy elements at varying concentrations. The approach integrates SEM imaging, X-ray spectral analysis, and mapping technology with advanced image processing techniques implemented in MATLAB and ImageJ. By distinguishing the characteristic pixels corresponding to individual elements, the methodology quantifies both individual and cumulative clusters of pixels, which are then correlated with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) data. This correlation allows direct inference of sample homogeneity from elemental concentration–pixel distributions. The proposed approach was applied to uranyl nitrate hexahydrate (UNH), Carb.009, SDO, and STD samples. Results demonstrate that the method enables evaluation of homogeneity and provides a quantitative framework for linking elemental concentration with spatial distribution. This methodology has applications in materials characterization, analytical chemistry, and quality control of heterogeneous systems.