AxioImager

Thin Section Scanning

High resolution scanning of thin sections can provide a significant amount of information, that is often restricted to inspection via microscopy. The section scans are viewable at your desk, exported as proprietary Zeiss .czi format, or as a standard jpeg. Easy access to optical information allows greater clarity on overall texture of the sample, and allows discussion with colleagues over points of interest.

Images of the section are captured over the same area, and therefore scans in various light paths are aligned. A false colour mineral map or back scattered electron map of the same area can also be added to the sample, by automated mineralogy, providing easy mineral identification, with the extra textual information that optical petrography provides.

Applications

Scan acquisition is performed using a Zeiss AxioImager.M2m, and can be performed on various sample types, including:

• standard cover slipped thin sections
• polished thin sections
• polished rock or concrete slices
• polished blocks of crushed material

Scanning is offered at x50, x100 and x200, and five light paths, namely:

• plane polarised light
• cross polarised light
• plane polarised reflected light
• cross polarised reflected light
• fluorescent light