Jaw crushers are available for crushing rocks and other geological samples. Various mills (vibrating disc mill, McCrone mill) are available for further processing, which pulverize the granulates for further analysis.

In order to dissolve minerals from its compound that are suitable for radiometric dating and to get rid of their adhesions in the best possible way, the stone is ground several times with the jaw crusher and the roller mill. The minerals suitable for the chosen dating methodology are separated using density differences, magnetic properties and grain shape. Subsequently, the millbase is sieved; the finer grain fraction is of interest for further processing.
The Wilfley wet-shaking hearth …

Sample preparation instruments are available for all kinds of samples for scanning electron microscopes: Gold-Palladium Sputter Coater - Leica; Carbon Coater - Leica; Cryo Sample Preparation - Leica; Gatan Model 656 Dimple Grinder - a precision tool used to mechanically produce dimples in the surface of materials like ceramics, semiconductors and metals; Gatan Model Duo Mill 600 - a post-ion milling device used to prepare electron transparent specimens for transmission electron microscopy; …

The section is well equipped for rock crushing, sieving and milling, preparation of thin and polished sections and grain mounts, and mineral separation by gravimetric and magnetic methods. We maintain central facilities and equipment for cleaning, crushing, sieving and grinding rock samples, both for preparation of homogenized whole rock powders and for the production of mineral separates. Whole rock powders (grain sizes < 62 μm) are typically used for X-Ray diffraction (XRD), X-Ray …

The sample preparation laboratories provide facilities to prepare geological samples for a wide range of analytical methods. These include mineral separations for geochronologic analysis, mineral powders for geochemical analysis and polished thin sections for microscopy.

The sedimentology lab at the Permafrost Research section aims to study the transport and accumulation processes of permafrost-related deposits and classify sediment sequences in general. Therefore, the following parameters are investigated: sediment structure description, grain-size distribution and mass specific magnetic susceptibility.

A special grinding laboratory enables the production of thin sections of various rock types. Precision saws in various sizes, a grinding machine (MPS), a lapping machine (Logitec) and a polishing machine are available for this.

Samples that are to be examined with the aid of a microscope must be prepared specifically for the instrument. To do this, the conditions of the instrument and the sample holder must be known: sample size - sample height or thickness - surface condition - conductivity - vacuum resistance. For any examination procedure, the sample should first be viewed with a light microscope.
There are preparation facilities for the use of the available equipment. This option is primarily intended for users …