Thin Sections and Special Preparations Laboratory

The observation and analysis of geological and/or artificial materials often requires adequate sample preparation using a variety of techniques performed in specialized laboratories. The Thin Sections and Special Preparations Laboratory is able to provide a wide range of preparations for optical and electron microscopy, and spectroscopy on both natural materials (rocks, soils, minerals) and artificial materials (e.g., mortars, metals). 

Among the preparations that can be made in the laboratory are polished sections, standard thin sections, polished sections, and double-polished sections for petrographic, mineralogical, and fluid inclusion analyses, as well as for in-situ laser probing analysis (LA-ICP-MS, Ar-Ar geochronology). Minerals (e.g., apatite, zircon) and natural glass can also be embedded in epoxy and/or Teflon resin for U-Pb and fission-track dating.