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Petrographic examinations

Petrography: (pe-trog'-ra-phy) That branch of geology dealing with the description and systematic classification of rocks, especially igneous and metamorphic rocks and especially by means of microscopic examination of thin sections.

We conduct petrographic examinations for a variety of clients with a focus on:

1. Durability assessments for geotechnical / civil engineering applications.
2. Assessment of alkali-silica reactivity potential for aggregates intended for the preparation of mortar or concrete.
3. Forensic geological investigations.
4. Evaluation of secondary (deleterious) mineral contents, e.g. smectite contents.
5. Ore / gangue assessments.

A standard petrographic examination yields information on:

1. The mineralogical composition (modal mineralogy) of the sample / rock under investigation.
2. The textures and microstructures present in the sample / rock.
3. The grain sizes of constituent minerals.
4. The rock type (lithology) being investigated.
5. The suitability of rocks for use in particular applications.

Mineralogical investigations

Mineralogy: (min-er-al'-o-gy) The study of minerals: formation, occurrence, properties, composition, and classification.

We conduct mineralogical investigations using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) for a variety of clients with a focus on:

1. Durability assessments for geotechnical / civil engineering applications.
2. Forensic geological investigations.
3. Evaluation of secondary (deleterious) mineral contents, e.g. smectite contents.
4. Determination of clay mineralogy.

X-ray Diffraction yields information on:

1. The mineralogical composition of the sample / rock under investigation.
2. The clay mineral content, which is frequently difficult to determine accurately optically.
3. The suitability of rocks for use in particular applications .