Did you know ...

The most important fossil fuels for modern industrial societies can be found in various materials, rocks for example. For centuries, geologists have been dealing with formations made of minerals, rock fragments, glasses or the remains of organisms. Now there is a new way to glean important information about the composition of rocks.

The right equipment enables experts to ascertain the hydrocarbon content of rock. This is the main component of fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas. The new AURIGA electron microscope from
Carl Zeiss analyzes important data such as porosity and permeability, and delivers high-resolution 3D images. This allows specialists to determine if sufficient oil or gas can be extracted from the rock.

AURIGA thus permits a precise statement on the suitability of raw material deposits for mining. The special feature here: using an integrated ion beam, AURIGA can make precise incisions in the examined specimens, thus also providing access to structures below the specimen surface and generating a 3D volume model. In addition to imaging, it is also possible to conduct a chemical-physical specimen analysis at the nanometer level. State-of-the-art technology from Oberkochen is thus helping determine the composition of rock. Does it contain enough fossil fuel? The rocks provide this information — but only if you have the right microscope.

October 20, 2009