Home Laboratories Sample Preparation

Sample Preparation

The Czech Geological Survey (CGS) has a facility specializing in the preparation of samples for all other laboratories. Some laboratories modify the samples depending on their needs.

Sample Polishing Facility

The laboratory prepares microscope slides of solid natural and artificial materials, either cohesive or friable, absorbent or non-absorbent, for further examanition under an optical or electron microscope. The grinding facility provides services mainly to internal staff members, but smaller contracts may also be arranged for individuals.

Range of Services

  • Covered and polished thin sections of rocks
  • Polished sections of rocks and individual minerals
  • Doubly polished plates for fluid inclusion study
  • Monomineral samples for dating using laser ablation
  • Specialized services upon prior agreeme

Equipment

  • Trim saw with adjustable blade for cutting samples of up to 5 cm
  • Logitech lapper and polisher
  • Discoplan-TS cutting and grinding machine
  • Buehler polisher for routine thin and polished sections
  • Struers RotoPol-35 polisher for friable materials
Rovinná bruska Logitech
Logitech lapper and polisher | Author: Tamara Sidorinová

Price list

210
Thin section of solid sample

size 2 × 3 cm
350 CZK
211
Thin section of oriented solid sample

size 2 × 3 cm
370 CZK
220
Polished thin section for microprobe analysis
640 CZK
230
large thin section of solid sample

size 3 × 4 cm
460 CZK
231
Large oriented thin section of solid sample

size 3 × 4 cm
480 CZK
241
Polished section for microprobe

columnar, fixed in synthetic resin, diameter 2.5 cm
580 CZK
242
Polished section from individual grains for microprobe

columnar, fixed in synthetic resin, diameter 2.5 cm
690 CZK
250
Thin section impregnated by a synthetic resin

size 2 × 3 cm
460 CZK
251
Thin section impregnated by a synthetic resin

size 3 × 4 cm
580 CZK
252
Thin section of disaggregatable material or soil

biological material (shells, teeth, etc.), thick polished cuttings 100 > μm
1 040 CZK
253
Double polished plate for fluid inclusions study, polished section of zircon grains for dating of age
2 300 CZK
254
Special work

cutting with diamond saw, large polish section
460 CZK / 1 hour

Prague Mineral Separation Facility

The laboratory separates heavy minerals from various rock types using magnetic, gravity (density), shape separation, flotation and partial dissolution techniques, which make use of the different physical and chemical properties of individual minerals. The most frequently used techniques involve the separation of minerals whose density is higher than that of the most abundant minerals in common rocks (quartz, feldspar, mica), i.e. higher than 2.9, the separation of heavy and light minerals from panned sediment concentrates or from crushed rocks.

The laboratory provides services mainly to internal staff members, but smaller contracts may also be arranged for individuals.

Range of Services

  • Separation of heavy-mineral concentrates
  • Monomineral separation
  • Dissolution of sulphides

Equipment

  • Wilfley shaking table
  • Cook Frantz electromagnetic separator
  • Rapid electromagnetic disc separator
  • VRF flotation machine
  • Janecki S70D centrifuge
  • Chirana Sterodent dry heat sterilizer
  • Equipment for heavy liquid separation
  • Sieves

Price list

400
Heavy mineral separation

repeated crushing, grinding, washing, drying, sieving, 75 g sample separated in tetrabromomethane heavy liquid
750 CZK

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401
Zircon separation from felsic and intermediate rocks

repeated crushing, grinding, concentration on the shaking table, drying, sieving, magnetic separation, heavy-liquid separation (tetrabromethane, diiodomethane), result is about 90 % zircon fraction (possibly + barite, kyanite, rutile, topaz)
3 350 CZK
402
Zircon separation from mafic and ultramafic rocks

repeated crushing, grinding, concentration on the shaking table, drying, sieving, magnetic separation, heavy-liquid separation (tetrabromethane, diiodomethane), sulphides dissolving, result is about 90 % zircon fraction
4 000 CZK
403
Other monomineral separation

after zircon separation (code 401), further magnetic separation (code 408), possibly repeatedly
350 CZK / operation
404
Separation of micas (1 g) for K-Ar, Ar-Ar age

repeated crushing, grinding, washing, drying, sieving, magnetic separation, shape separation
1 850 CZK
405
Magnetic separation before heavy liquid
350 CZK
406
Separation in tetrabromethane

a liquid of density 2.96 g/cm3

350 CZK
407
Separation in diiodomethane

a liquid of density 3.32 g/cm3 
230 CZK
408
Magnetic separation after heavy liquid

can be repeatedly
230 CZK / operation
409
Sulphides dissolving in nitric acid
350 CZK
411
Special work

in consultation with the laboratory
650 CZK / 1 hour

Brno Mineral Separation Facility

The laboratory prepares samples for palaeontological and mineralogical study, geochemical analyses and geochronological dating. It ensures the continuity of sample processing for subsequent CGS laboratory operations.

Most of the requests for sample analyses are made by internal staff members for tasks and projects funded by the CGS, from the projects of the Ministry of the Environment, or from grants of the Czech Science Foundation or the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic. Smaller contracts may also be arranged for individuals.

Range of Services

  • Cutting of solid rocks
  • Crushing
  • Wet and dry sieving
  • Pebble analysis
  • Granulometry
  • Flotation
  • Gravity separation
  • Electromagnetic separation

Recovery of microfossils – the laboratory recovers foraminifera and other microfauna from rocks. For this purpose, methods enabling the extraction of microfauna from unconsolidated sediments as well as solid clays and shales (disintegration using a sodium carbonate and hydrogen peroxide solution, mechanical methods) are used. The acetolysis method of Lirer (2000) is used to extract calcareous foraminifera from indurated limestones and marltones.

Mineral separation – the non-toxic sodium polytungstate heavy liquid (LST) is used to separate minerals. Heavy minerals are used as indicators of provenance and as a guide in stratigraphic correlations. High-quality mineral fractions for laser ablation dating can be obtained by combining heavy liquid separation with electromagnetic separation.

Equipment

  • Shaking table
  • Cook electromagnetic separator
separace brno zirkony
Zircons selected for further processing as samples for dating by laser ablation | Author: Irena Sedláčková
Mikrofosílie badenu
Baden microfossils | Author: Irena Sedláčková

Price list

 

161
Rock cutting

cutting of the rock using a circular saw at the client's request
100 CZK
162
Rock crushing

rock crushing on the jaw crusher
1 kg1
160 CZK
163
Granulometry in the range of 0.063–20 mm

sample drying, sieving on 3–5 sieves according at the client´s request,

weighing, a pie chart output
500 g1
360 CZK
164
Fine soil milling
60–80 g1
60 CZK
165
Fine rock milling
60–80 g1
150 CZK
166
Sample preparation for geochemical analysis

rock disruption, repeated crushing on a jaw crusher, homogenisation,

filling and labelling of 2 bags, documentary sample
3 kg1
420 CZK
167
Washing of loose rocks for micropalaeontology

sand, silt, clay, dust
500 g1
250 CZK
168
Washing of solid rocks for micropalaeontology

shales, slates, claystones
300 g1
370 CZK
169
Acetolysis (Lirer 2000)

limestone, rock crushing included
250 g1
380 CZK
170
Conodont fauna separation

repeated decomposition in 20% acetic acid, decantation, washing,

possibility of process control by the client
250 g1
450 CZK
171
Preparation of calcareous nannofossils

preparation and pouring into the Canadian balsam
1 kg1
550 CZK
172
Pebble analysis

sieving according to the client request, washing
1 kg1
100 CZK
173
Sample preparation for heavy mineral separation

crushing, soaking, washing (0.063–0.250 mm), drying,
crushing is charged separately

 
1 kg1
150 CZK
174
Heavy mineral separation

separation in liquid sodium heteropolytungstate (LST)
40 g1
450 CZK
175
Sample preparation and heavy minerals separation

items code 172 and code 173 are included,
rock crushing is not include

 
2 kg1
640 CZK
176
Electromagnetic separation

heavy minerals sorting into fractions on the Cook electromagnetic separator

 
50 g1
300 CZK
177
Shaking table

sample dividing into four density fractions
2 kg1
1 500 CZK
178
Sample preparation for age dating

rock disruption, crushing on a jaw crusher, sieveving,
washing on the shaking table, electromagnetic separation,
heavy mineral separation in LST,
back up of individual fractions and other work according to the sample, picking up grains and microprobe analysis are not include

 
10 kg1
3 000 CZK
179
Sample preparation for age dating – picking

one type of heavy mineral selecting from the sample
according to the client's request, description,
gluing the grains on the tape, handing over to the Sample polishing facility, the pellet price is not include

 
1 g1
1 000 CZK
180
Sample preparation for laser ablation

handing over the sample to the microprobe analysis,
data processing, preparation of the mineral grains for the laser ablation, payment for the microprobe is not included

 

 
1 sample1
400 CZK
181
Sample preparation for age dating – the whole procedure

methods code 178, 179 and 180 are included

 

 
10 kg1
4 000 CZK
182
Special work

according to client's request
550 CZK / 1 hour