FACILITIES

MACHINERY (I) Triaxial Griggs apparatus

The new 'Griggs' type solid medium apparatus for deformation under conditions simulating the pressures (0.5 - 2 GPa) and temperatures (up to 1300 C) at depth (~10-50 km below the surface). The apparatus is installed at the Rock DeformationLab where we prepare the assembly parts and monitor and control the experiment and oil pressure with the designated lab computer.

MACHINERY (II) Nanoindentation

Nanoindentation tests have a unique ability to test mineral plasticity at fantastic conditions of high pressure and low temperatures, generating deformation mechanisms that are important for tectonic processes. We have the sm@rt 500 nanoindenters (SURFACE systems + technology GmbH & Co.). The indenter is designed to offer a broad range of force (up to 800 mN), displacement (shaft of 100 µm), speed, and travel. Sample stages Sm@rt cubes allow sample heating and control within the integrated control software. The heating stage can achieve up to 500° C.

Analytical Instruments

We often use scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with the electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) sensor in the Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science & Technology at BGU. The EBSD allows constructing orientation maps of polished sections with down to sub-micron step size. The EBSD is a powerful tool in the study of the rock texture and deformation at the grain and sub-grain scales.