Within HELGES we have a ISO 6 metal-free clean laboratory, dedicated entirely to blank-sensitive metal(loid) geochemistry. Numerous ISO 4 laminar flow hoods are available for the preparation of wide-ranging sample substrates for non-traditional stable isotope and concentration analysis, along with other essential infrastructure like a centrifuge, ultrasonic bath, microbalance, hotplates etc. Protocols established in the lab include (but are not limited to) Li, B, Mg, Si, K, Fe, Ni, Zn, Sr, and …

Within HELGES, we have more than 100 m² of clean lab space is available for separation of meteoric and terrestrial cosmogenic nuclides. We prepare wide-ranging sample substrates for meteoric cosmogenic nuclides (e.g. rocks, sediments, soils, river water, seawater, plants) and mainly quartz for terrestrial (in situ) cosmogenic nuclides (mainly ¹⁰Be and ²⁶Al). Such clean lab methods are couple to mineral separation labs. The clean lab features other essential infrastructure like a centrifuge, …

The preparation lab offers different preparation methods such as thin-section production, polishes, dye methods, hardening methods and others.

The sediment processing laboratory is a space for preparing marine and non-marine sedimentary samples for microscopy and other analyses, which require individual components or fabric specific analysis (e.g., Mass Spectrometry, trace metals, isotope studies…). Preparation methods include separating and picking of biogenic particles, thin section dying techniques, sieving for granulometry, and creating smear slides and acetate peels.

General applications in the soil physics lab comprise soil sample preparation, particle size analysis and estimation of soil moisture content.