Thin section lab
Regulations for the use of the preparation laboratory
According to the resolution of the Department of Geodynamics and Geomaterials Research of the University of Würzburg of 01.10.2010, the use of the preparation laboratory is regulated by the following usage regulations. An adjustment of the costs will be made according to a resolution of 10.03.2017.
1. Laboratory equipment
The laboratory is equipped with rock saws of various sizes, a manual grinding wheel, an automated grinding machine for the production of 6 thin sections each, 2 automated polishing machines for the production of ore sections, a vibrating polisher for polishing rock sections. All work is carried out by a preparator, independent work by other users is only possible in exceptional cases and only under supervision.
2. Sample preparation
For the preparation of the thin sections, the cleaned and numbered samples must be provided in archive boxes marked with the same numbers. In addition, care must be taken that the size of the samples is adequate. Samples that are too large must be reduced in size accordingly by the client.
3. Appointment
Appointments for the fabrication of thin sections or polished sections are requested from the supervising persons (by telephone, e-mail or in person) and entered in a calendar. All appointments are non-binding, as disruptions in the laboratories can occur at any time, resulting in rescheduling. Significant changes are discussed in consultation with the working group leaders, taking into account in particular the urgency of a measurement project (e.g. deadline for submission of BSc theses).
4. Costs
The costs of the laboratory are made up of two items:
1. Costs for acquisition and operation
- Power
- Support office
- Repair costs
- Replacement of electrical and mechanical components that are not typical wear parts.
2. Costs for the production of thin sections:
- Running costs for consumables (chemicals, microscope slides, saw blades, grinding wheels, polishing cloths, diamond powder, etc.)
- Costs for maintenance and service
For the calculation of the proportionate laboratory costs that can be allocated to academic users, only the laboratory costs for carrying out the measurement operation and for ensuring the quality of the analysis were taken into account. This results in the following flat rates for use for different user groups:
18 € / thin section - 20 € / polished (ore) section - 5 € / polished rock piece - 18 € / epoxy mount
for all academic work carried out by members of the department (under the responsibility of the respective working group leaders) as well as for those guests who cooperate directly with the working group leaders in joint projects.
35 € / thin section - 40 € / polished (ore) section - 10 € /polished rock piece - 35 € / epoxy mount
for university members who are not part of the Department of Geodynamics and Geomaterials Research and for such guests who do not cooperate with the working group leaders within the framework of projects.
70 € / thin section - 100 € / thin section for difficult samples (e.g., salt, sediments) - 80 € / polished (ore) section - 20 € / polished rock piece - 70 € / epoxy mount
for third parties (companies) within the framework of commercial contract analysis. These costs include sample preparation, measuring instrument time, intensive supervision of the project by the person responsible for carrying out the contract, evaluation of the data, writing of a report.
Würzburg, 13.12.2021
Dr. Stefan Höhn, Tel. 0931-31-85422 oder stefan.hoehn@uni-wuerzburg.de
