Thin sections and Soil Micromorphology
It is a full equiped laboratory dedicated to preparing thin sections of hard and soft materials, polished test tubes, section staining and resin impregnation for the consolidation of soft materials. The laboratory places particular focus on very hard rocks such as flint and on fossil materials such as teeth and ceramics, among others.
It develops the whole process for the preparation of thin sections of soils, from field sample collection to the consolidation and preparation of the section for soil micromorphology.
Samples are prepared at this laboratory to be analyzed through polarized light optical microscopy, etc. It is specialized both in very hard rocks, such as flint, and in materials that require consolidation.
The entire process for the preparation of the thin sections is carried out at the laboratory's facilities: from cutting the rocks, to the consolidation, grinding, polishing and preparation of the section. Polished test tubes can also be prepared. Staining can also be carried out, carbonates and feldspars being the most common.
Furthermore, the laboratory has all of the necessary equipment to prepare thin sections of soils, from field collection to sample consolidation and section preparation .
In all cases, the sections prepared have different sizes, enabling a wide range of applications and covering varying needs .
The laboratory is formed by three work areas: cutting room, thin section room and micromorphology room, which are all equipped with gas extraction hoods, making it possible to work in a safe atmosphere, cupboards with gas extraction systems, dust aspersion system, demineralized water system, compressed air and necessary personal protection material.
The cutting room has several diamond saws, of which the LOGITECH 1GTS-1, the BARRANCA DIAMOND saw and the ASC SCIENTIFIC double-blade saw are particularly noteworthy.
The thin section room has a LOGITECH 1AL51-1 system and the LOGITECH 1PW51-1 polishing machine.
The micromorphology room includes a Brotlab multi-plate grinding machine that works with oil, a Brotlab saw that also uses oil as a coolant, an oven that can produce a vacuum and a fume cupboard. .
Applications
- Metallographic and microprobe analysis
- Study of surveys
- Petrographic studies
- Soil micromorphology studies
- Sedimentological studies
- Fluid inclusions studies
Services
- Cutting geological samples with diamond saws of different diameters
- Precision cutting
- Preparation of thin sections of hard rocks, minerals, soft samples and fossils of different sizes (28x48 mm, 51x76 mm and 100x150 mm)
- Section polishing
- Polished probes
- Consolidation of samples
- Sample preparation to produce sections for soil micromorphology
- Preparation of sections for soil micromorphology
Geology Laboratory support Technician
