Geofacilities

Geofacilities encompasses an eclectic mix of laboratories for cutting, crushing, grinding, and milling samples, as well as preparing thin sections, mineral separation, sedimentology, and optical imaging.

Available Support

Our expert team can provide a bespoke induction to our equipment, tailored to your research and aims. 

Alternatively, we can process samples ourselves.

Get in Touch

Please contact Geofacilities manager, Emily Donald (emily.donald@earth.ox.ac.uk) if you're interested in using our facilities or you'd like to learn more.

Our Facilities

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We have several instruments to support the petrological, paleobiological, and bio-geochemical research undertaken within the department.

Please contact Virginia (virginia.ettwein@earth.ox.ac.uk) with any questions.

Closeup of a Leica DM750P polarising microscope on a lab bench

 Available equipment

Microscope

 Key Features Magnification
Zeiss SteREO Discovery V12 stereo microscope Gliding stage; drawing arm; ring illumination; swan-arm illumination; AxioCam 208 colour camera; imaging software  Achromat S objectives: 0.3x, 0.63x, 1.0x, and 1.5x 
Meiji EMZ-5TR   1x, zoom range 0.7–4.5
Nikon Optiphot-2 x-y stage; transmitted illumination; epi-fluorescence illumination M Plan objectives: 5x, 10x, 40
Nikon Labophot biological microscope x-y stage; phase objectives Nikon objectives: X10/0.25, x20/0.4, x40/0.65, x100/1.25 oil
Leica DMRX polarising microscope Transmitted illumination; incident illumination; epi-fluorescence illumination; Zeiss AxioCam 208 colour camera; Zeiss Zen software

N Plan 2.5x/0.07 Pol, HC PL Fluotar 10x/0.30,  
HC PL Fluotar 20x/0.50, HC PL Fluotar 50x/0.80, HC PL Fluotar 100x/0.90
Leica DM750P polarising microscope Transmitted illumination; camera system Hi Plan objectives: 4x, 10x, 20x, and 40x
Wild M420 Macrozoom stereozoom microscope Apozoom lens 0-50x
Wild M8 stereozoom microscope Drawing arm; rotating polarising stage; ring illumination; swan-arm illumination 0-50x

 

We have a variety of equipment available to prepare samples for thin sectioning and geochemical analysis.

A gloved hand holds a sample being cut by a trim saw
Lab with geofacilities manager Emily operating equipment at a central bench. There is ventilation overhead, sieving or cutting machines on both sides, and storage shelves below.
A student in a lab coat and hearing protection works at a bench in the crushing lab. In the background there is a large crushing machine, with sieves and sample containers also visible.

 

Rock Cutting

Available equipment:

  • Trim saws with continuous-rim blades in 6", 7", and 10" diameters; maximum sample sizes 45 mm, 50 mm, and 70 mm respectively
  • Motacutter with horizontally mounted 14" diamond blade for slabbing medium-sized rock samples; maximum sample size 100 mm
  • Pillar drill set up for coring rocks
  • MetPrep C10 rock saw with clamps
  • MetaServ grinder-polisher
  • Production Techniques Lapmaster lapping machine for lapping rock billets and hand specimens
  • AGS Diamond grinders
  • ATM twin-head grinder
  • Buehler PetroThin for sectioning and grinding thin sections

Rock Crushing

Available equipment:

  • Fritsch Pulverisette 1 laboratory jaw crusher, model 1, with tempered steel jaws and side panels; accepts cubic or rounded samples of approximately 4 cm and reduces them to approximately 1 mm

  • Fritsch Pulverisette 2 automatic mortar grinder with hard porcelain and zirconium oxide grinding sets; produces fine powder of approximately 100 microns or smaller

  • Fritsch Pulverisette 5 planetary ball mill with four stations, agate and zirconium oxide bowls, and grinding balls in 20 mm and 15 mm diameters; reduces powder to approximately 20 microns

  • Roller mill with smooth and grooved steel rollers; suitable for moderate size reduction, for example for mineral picking or microfossil preparation

  • Vibrating cup Tema mill with agate and tungsten carbide bowl and rings; produces powder similar to a ball mill, with lower size-efficiency but larger-volume capacity

  • Endecotts Octagon 200 sieve shaker for dry sieving only; wet-sieving attachments are available in Sedimentology and Mineral Separation

  • Hydraulic rock splitter

 

We can produce sections of rock and unconsolidated sediment for research.

Slides can be polished or covered, including in standard or, by special request, larger size. 

We can also produce polished blocks and grain mounts (both mapped and unmapped). We can impregnate samples with dyed resin, including UV resin.

Available equipment

  • 2x Logitech LP50 lapping machines
  • Buehler Isomet variable-speed saw
  • Well 3500 reciprocating diamond wire saw; ideal for delicate or fine-scale cutting
  • Logitech Model 15 variable-speed saw with continuous-rim or wire blade
  • Logitech CS10 cut-off saw
  • Logitech IU30 vacuum impregnating system
  • Buehler vacuum chamber
  • Loctite UV-curing lamp
  • Dymax UV-curing lamp
  • 4x spring-loaded mounting jigs
Lab manager Emily holds a thin section up to the light in the thin sections lab. She is wearing a lab coat and gloves. Other equipment including fume cupboards is visible in the background.

 

Geofacilities manager Emily polishes a sample using a Struers LaboPol-35 polishing machine while wearing a lab coat and gloves. Bottles of chemicals and other equipment can be seen in the background

Our polishing laboratory is ideal for the preparation of polished thin sections and mounts suited to E-Beam work, with our finest grade polishing compounds allowing a polish down to 0.06 microns. We can also handle water-sensitive materials.

Available equipment

  • Struers LaboForce-Mi polishing machine
  • Struers LaboPol-35 polishing machine
  • ATM Saphir vibropolisher
  • Buehler Minimet single-sample polisher
  • Ultrasonic cleaning bath

 

We can use a variety of techniques to pick samples for micropalaeontology and isolate mineral separates.

Available equipment

  • Wild M8 stereozoom microscope for mineral or microfossil picking
  • Laboratory oven
  • Frantz isodynamic magnetic separator
  • Ultrasonic tank
  • Wet sieving using stainless steel sieves and dry sieving using brass sieves
  • Acetate peel preparation
Lab manager Emily feeds a sample into a Frantz isodynamic magnetic separator. She is wearing a lab coat, gloves and hearing protection.
Bottles, hoses, sieves, and sample containers arranged around a laboratory sink.

 

Wet chemistry lab with two fume cupboards on the left, a central sink and workbench, and an empty chair on the right.

Available equipment

  • Balances
  • Centrifuge
  • Ultrasonic tanks
  • Laboratory ovens
  • Furnace
  • Quality water supply
  • Coulomat 702

 

For more information regarding the wet chemistry lab, please contact Jerry (zheyu.tian@earth.ox.ac.uk).