HELGES – Sample Preparation Laboratories

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Samples of all kinds are pretreated in our sample preparation laboratories. Samples are usually first dried, sieved or separated into magnetic or non-magnetic components in a magnetic separator based on their magnetic properties. Separation based on different mineral densities is also carried out here. Rock samples are ground in a ball mill and then further processed in the clean room laboratory using wet chemical methods.

In the case of cosmogenic nuclide samples for the in situ-produced ¹⁰Be, the samples are purified in several stages in order to obtain pure quartz. For this purpose, various leaching steps are carried out with different acids (HCl, HNO₃, HF) and at different temperatures on a heatable roller or in ultrasonic baths in order to obtain a quartz concentrate that is as clean as possible.

For marine samples, microfossils are often separated using microscopes. Our microscope enables us to optically analyse thin sections and the like, take overview images and prepare them for laser measurements. In addition to polarisation filters and incident/transmitted light, there are objectives for magnification factors of 5x, 10x, 20x, 50x and 100x.

Categories

Disciplinary Keywords

Instrumentation

Laboratory instrumentation

Instruments

  • Filter
  • Frantz Magnetic Separator
  • Heavy Liquid Separation Line
  • Ion Chromatograph

    ION CHROMATOGRAPHS are recorders that are used in chromatography; a form of high pressure liquid chromatography using conductivity detectors where a combination of weak ionic solvents are used to separate anions and cations of a solution, with the contribution of the solvent to conductivity suppressed just prior to detection; measures anions such as sulfate, nitrate, and chloride in hydrometers.

  • Jaw Crusher
  • Microscope

    Microscopes are instruments that magnify the image of small objects. (Source: Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). 2023. GCMD Keywords, Version 16.3. Greenbelt, MD: Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects pision, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). URL (GCMD Keyword Forum Page): https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD+Keywords)

  • Roll Mill
  • Sieve
  • Wilfley Shaker Table

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