SGER: Ultramicrotomy for Petrographic Thin Sections

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Ultramicrotomy for Petrographic Thin SectionsCheryl Young: EAR-0071152This project will address the need for standardized sample preparation of rock specimens for study by transmission electron microscopy (TEM); presently there is no universal method of sample preparation. Ultramicrotomy (UM) is widely used for sectioning biological materials and a similar procedure may be applied to geological thin sections. There are several advantages in being able to thin section petrographic slides. Two of these concern preservation of overall particle structure and uniformity of specimen thickness. The former makes it possible to examine textural properties of grain boundaries and interfaces with minimal disturbance to their microstructures and petrography. Using methods of UM it is possible to section a single 10-mm particle into 200 slices with almost complete preservation of internal microstructure in three dimensions. This project will result in the development of ultramictomy methods capable of producing ultrathin sections from petrographic slides. This will broaden the use the use of TEM in petrologic studies.