The Geological and Palaeontological Preparation Laboratory (LPGyP), a basic scientific-technical centre attached to the Natural Science Museum of Barcelona, supports the work of conserving collections and the associated research. The shortage of laboratories with suitable equipment for the preparation of geological materials and the study of new sophisticated preparation techniques places the LPGyP in a key position in terms of both internal and external services.
Preparation process of a thin section of a rock
The LPGyP offers a wide range of geological and palaeontological preparation services.
The different preparations are done following established protocols that are constantly reviewed and updated to adapt to new needs and materials.
Contact
- Email: lpgip.mcnb@bcn.cat
- Telephone: +34 932 562 187
- Address: Laboratorio de Preparación de Geología y Paleontología, Passeig Picasso s/n, 08003 Barcelona
- Staff
- Projects
- Services
- Resources
Museum staff
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Dacha Atienza : head of collections, research and documentation
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Eulàlia Garcia : head of collections
Mail: egarciafr@bcn.cat Tel : 932562202
Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7999-5244
Google Citation: https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=ca&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=eul%C3%A0lia+garcia-franquesa&oq=Eul%C3%A0lia+Garcia
Researchgate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Eulalia-Garcia-Franquesa
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Marc Campeny : mineralogy curator
Mail: mcampenyc@bcn.cat Tel : 932562188
Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8720-2400
Google Citation: https://scholar.google.es/citations?hl=ca&user=MN3UOiYAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate
Researchgate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Marc-Campeny-2
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Yael Díaz : curator, petrology
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Vicent Vicedo : curator, palaeontology
Collaborators
Research and development
- Alejandro Gallardo: Micropalaentology , Universitat de Barcelona
The LPGyP performs numerous tasks summarized in the following lines of work:
- Evaluation of thin section quality and of other services.
- Preparation and standardization of work protocols. Monitoring and updating of existing protocols.
- Monitoring and study of material behaviour applied to preparations, such as studies of the behaviour of mounting resins over time.
- Training and dissemination of standardized geological preparation methods in courses offered to other museums, students, research centres and small businesses.
- Creation of material for the Museum’s pedagogical geology and palaeontology collections.
Projects:
Laboratory activities and services:
- Preparation of thin sheets for microscopic study: uncovered, covered and with metallographic polishing
- Carbonate staining, metallographic polishing only, coating removal (carbon, gold, etc).
- Preparation of metallographic specimens
- Manual and automated polishing with Al, Ce or Cr oxide and/or diamond paste
- Embedding with different kinds of resins[AMJM1]
- Precision sawing
- Sample crushing and sieving
- Dry and wet screening
- Preparation of smears and acetate peels to study calcareous nannofossils, diatoms, silicoflagellates, etc.
- Manufacture of moulds and replicas
- Training and dissemination of standardized geological preparation methods in courses offered to other museums, students, research centres and small businesses.
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LPGyP RATES
Maquinària
L’equipament actual de l’LPGiP consisteix en maquinària de precisió com:
Equipment
- Current LPGyP equipment consists of precision machinery such as:
- Manual saws
- Dual action polisher
- Microabrasion equipment.
- Pneumatic hammer
- Heating plate and oven (sample drying).
- UV lamp
- Binocular magnifier
- Ultrasound cleaning tank (sample cleaning).
- Discoplan-TS cutting saw (to prepare thin sheets)
- Petrographic microscope
- Metallographic polisher
- Low-speed saw
- Vacuum pump and cabin