Keeping the dream alive.

I think big machines rock!
stuff i did in the lab today..
really interesting..
firstly..
we made polystyrene during monday's class..
minor hiccups along the way..
but was fine..because we didn't add the sample that we distilled for 2hours into the system yet..
everything else we added were lab reagents..
so we dismantled everything and started over..
went back on tuesday to retrieve my products..
and centrifuge it..
and left it in the oven to evaporate all the water and solvent present..
went to fiddle with the particle sizer machine and SEM today!
and it was way cool..
ok..
the particle sizer..
not too cool
apparently...the polystyrene that we synthesized measured 40microns..
which is HUGE.
as compared to the 2microns that we were supposed to be getting..
and because we didn't get the 'correct' results..
we had to do..and redo and redo and redo..
until even the TA did it by himself...not trusting us..
and he got the same results..
-shrugs-
the lousy thing is..
everytime we redo...
I need to wash the machine
so..
it was pouring deionised water in...
purging it out...
in and out..in and out..
in out in out
thrice each time..
mannn...
we wasted so much water...
was there from 1045 till 1245..before taking a lunch break..

came back and went to the SEM lab!!
that was COOOL..
i'll figure a way to get the pics uploaded..
:)
we used like an ultra ultra thin coating of our sample..
and then we left it in this machine..
which coats it with platinum at 2nm..
which is SUPER small..
to make the surface smooth..
and then...there was argon gas emitted...and it's PURPLE.
:)
and..we popped that tablet like thing into the SEM..
and there's an electron ray gun...
like...usually...we just hear of such stuff...
we don't exactly see it or use it..
yups!

and i need to do ah pek's tutorial now..
ladeeda..
i'm still very hyped up over sunday!
ladeeda!