UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA

FAKULTI KEJURUTERAAN KIMIA

GEOLOGY AND DRILLING LABORATORY
(CGE 558)
NAME
NO
TITLE
AHMAD FADHIL BIN JAHARI

ALLOCATEDMATRIC NO
MARKS
2014812836
MARKS %

1
ABSTRACT/ SUMMARY
5
EXPERIMENT
: EXPERIMENT 6 THIN SECTION AND PETROGRAPHY
2
INTRODUCTION
5
DATE PERFORM
: 24TH MARCH 2015
3
AIMS/
5
SEMESTER
: 3 OBJECTIVES
4
THEORY
5
PROGRAM
: OIL
AND GAS ENGINEERING
5
APPARATUS
5
GROUP
: EH2433
6
7

PROCEDURES
RESULT

10
10

8
9

CALCULATIONS
DISCUSSIONS

10
20

10

CONCLUSIONS

10

11
12

RECOMMENDATIONS
REFERENCES

5
5

13

APPENDICES
TOTAL

Remarks:

Checked by:

TABLE OF CONTENT
1

NO.

CONTENTS

PAGE
NUMBER

1.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

2.

SUMMARY

3.

INTRODUCTION

4.

OBJECTIVES

5.

THEORY

6.

APPARATUS

7.

PROCEDURE

8.

RESULTS

DISCUSSIONS

10

10.

CONCLUSIONS

10

11.

RECOMMENDATION

11

12.

REFERENCES

11

13.

APPENDICES

11

ABSTRACT
The fundamental objective for this experiment is to study the rocks and minerals using a
microscope. Secondly, to identify the cross sections of rocks, minerals and ores. Generally,
petrography is the study of rocks and minerals using a microscope. The cross sections are
important for the identification of rocks, minerals and ores from this study. Thin section is
served as the laboratory preparation of rock, mineral and soil being used with a polarizing
petrographic microscope.
The experiment was implemented by cutting the sample rocks into a smaller samples using
the cutting machine. The samples are then being polished using a piece of sandpaper to
remove the bubble layers on the rocks surface. After that, rock samples were glued to the
glass slide by using thermoplastic cement. The thin section lapping was set up and then the
samples were placed to minimize the thickness to 30m. It were observed by using the
microscope by using 4x, 10x, 20x, and 40x magnification. The characteristics of rock samples
were analyzed after the observation under microscope.
On the other words, it is obviously shown that the sandstone comprising many minerals, pore
spaces, matrix and cementation. Rock sample can be referred as sanstone because white
colour appeared under the microscope. Also, it shows some properties of metamorphic litho
logy, which is pink and brownish colour, denote to the calcite cement and likely contribute of
fluid and cement. Thus, study of rocks and minerals using an integrated microscope and cross
sections are important in order to determine the rocks and minerals characteristics.

INTRODUCTION
Basically, petrography is the study of rocks and minerals using a microscope. The cross
sections are important for the identification of rocks, minerals and ores and to the
characterization of properties such as cleavage, twining and reflectance (1). Next, thin section
is defined as the laboratory preparation of rock, mineral and soil being used with a polarizing
petrographic microscope. Thin sections are implemented in order to find out the properties of
the minerals in the rock and at the same time to determine the origin and evolution of the
parent rock.
Generally, there always been two types of specimens being used for the analysis which are
thin sections and polished bulk specimens. As for polished bulk specimens which are similar
to metallographic specimens, the surface is prepared for examination with a refllected light
microscope (1). Instead, thin sections are thin enough and typically observed by using a
polarized light microscope. For this laboratory experiment, thin sections are used as for the
analysis of rocks and minerals.
There are general procedures necessary to prepare for making transparent thin sections at
thickness of approximately 30m, and can be summarized as follow:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Sectioning
Vacuum impregnation
Grinding
Cementing to a slide
Resectioning
Grinding and polishing

OBJECTIVE
1. To study the rocks and minerals using a microscope.
2. To identify the cross sections of rocks, minerals and ores.

THEORY
4

As mention before, there are several steps need to be implemented for making transparent
thin sections. Firstly, sectioning, a primary step in specimen preparation. It is conducted to
acquire a precise size specimen from the parent material, to reduce thickness of the specimen
in order to reduce grinding time and to expose the surface of interest (1). The specimen need
to be cleaned and dried once it has been cut. Materials that have pores, cracks, and poorly
consolidated must be vacuum impregnated. Vacuum impregnation is used to remove gases
from pores or cracks in fragile specimens and allows infiltration of a suitable bonding
material that will retard sample fracturing and plucking (1).
Furthermore, grinding is employed to produce a flat, smooth surface which is free of gross
deformation (1). This is important because it will be mounted directly to the glass slide. In
cementing to a slide, it provides a transparent support to the ground sample even after it is
thinned to the final thickness. The sample must be thoroughly cleaned to remove all loose
abrasive and other residues before cementing. Next, as for resectioning, the part that prepare
thin sections very rapidly without compromising accuracy or quality and remove excess
materials quickly (1).
The last part is continue with the grinding and polishing. Grinding is conducted to remove
deformation in sectioning and helps removes excess material (1). It is implemented using
either fixed abrasives, abrasive particles are bonded to substrate and cannot move freely, or
loose abrasives, abrasive particles are not bonded substrate but are free to move. This
procedure is known as lapping. Once a section is ground to the desired thickness, the
specimen can be determined using transmitted light and can be further polished.
The fundamental reason of polishing a specimen is to remove final deformation caused by the
grinding process and produce a damage-free surface (1). It is implemented by abrading the
surface with fine abrasives, reducing to sub-micrometer size. Polished thin section can be
determined with either a transmitted or reflected light microscope. Instead, polishing is also
important in order to identify the mineral hardness and to conduct chemical tests on the
polished surface.

APPARATUS & MATERIAL

Apparatus

Rock cutting machine

Thinning section lapping machine
Glass slide
Transmitted polarized light microscope
Sectioning machine

Material

Rock samples
Thermoplastic cement
Sand paper

PROCEDURE
1. Different sample of rocks were prepared which are Sample 1 and 2. Sample 1 was cut
with the thickness of 3mm by using rock cutting machine.
2. Power supply and light of the machine were switched on. Hood was opened. Sample was
clamped in the clamping device.
3. Path of the flange was checked before cutting. If the black knob and the screw pin could
touch the flange, re-position the vise assembly. After that, hood was closed.
4. Pump was turned on. Then, start button was pressed.
5. Cut-off wheel was taken slowly towards the sample. Stop button was pressed and then the
hood was opened. Sample was collected and the ward from the cutting area was cleaned.
6. Pump and the light were turned off. The power supply was switched off simultaneously.
7. Sample was polished by using sandpaper and was put on a glass slide by using
thermoplastic cement in the fume hood.
8. Rock sample was thinned for 30 m by using thin section lapping machine and was
polished again using the sandpaper.
9. Sample was observed with a transmitted polarized light microscope for 4x, 10x, 20x and
40x magnification to determine type of rocks, minerals and ores. Data were recorded.
10. Step 2-9 were repeated for sample 2.
RESULT
Rock Sample 1

Magnified 4X

Magnified 10X

Magnified 20X

Magnified 40X

Rock Sample 2

Magnified 4X

Magnified 10X

Magnified 20X

Magnified 40X

DISCUSSION
As mention before, the main objective for this experiment is to study the rocks and minerals
using a microscope. Cross sections are important in order to identify the rocks, minerals and
ores. The sample is identified by using polirizing microscope with for types of magnification
which are 4x, 10x, 20x and 40x. The magnification is further used to identify more precise on
determining different type of rocks. Based from the results obtained, denote that the rock
samples comprise many types of components correlate to the characterisitic of sandstone. It
shown that the grains is comprising of many types of minerals, pores spaces, matrix and
cementation. The colour of the rock samples is white which refer as sandstone.
Furthermore, there is limitation occur from the experiment. Results obtained are not precise
and seems unclear during magnification implementation. It is necesssarily will influence the
results because the structure of the rock samples cannot be seen clearly, instead, some of the
results may vary from the exact one.
As the magnification increase from 4x to 10x, 20x and 40x, the images seem to be seen more
clearly than before. Based on the result from Sample 1 and 2 it clearly shown that the pore
spaces are exists within the rock samples while the grains, matrices and cements still in
vague. At 20x magnification, both samples show some properties of metamorphic litho logy,
which is pink and brownish colour appeared indicate to the calcite cement, and somehow the
samples contribute of fluid and cement.

CONCLUSION
As overall, the objective for this experiment is finally achieved. Study of rocks and minerals
using an integrated microscope and cross sections are important in order to determine the
rocks and minerals characteristics. Instead, several properties likely, their colour, shape,
hardness, cleavage and others can be determine simultaneously. It is crucially necessary to
know mineral characteristic, it helps for the determination of the rock permeability and
porosity to be done precisely. Thus, it is clearly shown that the sandstone comprising many
minerals, pore spaces, matrix and cementation. Somehow, limitation always occur and the
results may vary and not precise during observation.

10

RECOMMENDATION

In order to prevent the formation of bubbles, the rock samples need to be polished few

times by using the sand paper.

Due to some limitation error, the thickness of the samples shoul be decreased to ease

the penetration of light from the microscope to the samples.

Samples need to be hold and clamped firmly during cutting to avoid any unexpected
movements of samples.

REFERENCES
(1) Buehler Digest (1987). Petrographic Sample Preparation For Microstructural
Analysis, Vol. 24, No. 1

APPENDICES

Geological Cutter

11

Thin Sectioning Equipment

Transmitted Polarized Light Microscope & Computer

Interference Colour Chart

12

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