PetroLab is a well-equipped laboratory for petrological study of natural rocks and for high-temperature experiments.

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PetroLab experimental facilities include

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• One atmosphere gas mixing furnace (up to 1700˚C)

• One vertical furnace (up to 1600˚C) with (10) externally heated pressure vessels (MHC) working with Ar or H2O as pressure medium

• Several muffle furnaces

• Lampert TIG welder 

• Several petrographic microscopes with Camera equipped with objectives from 2.5-50x 

• Buehler & Struers Low Speed Saws

• Struers LaboSystem Automated Polisher (LaboPol-5 base and LaboForce-1 three position sample holder)

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Sample preparation laboratory

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• Thin section laboratory 

• Several jaw crushers and planetary mills

• Mineral separation lab

• Polishing lab

 

To be installed in 2021...​

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• A second one atmosphere gas mixing furnace (up to 1600˚C)

• An end-loaded piston cylinder (up to 4 GPa and 2000˚C)

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Analytical facilities (Earth Sciences and shared facilities)

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• Field emission Microprobe JXA-8530F

• Several SEM (FEG, W, LaB6)

• Raman, FT-IR

• Several CT-scanners (GE Nanotom, Skyscan, ...)

• X-ray fluorescence and X-ray diffraction

• LA-ICP-MS (to be installed in 2021)

• Complete list of equipments on SIM2 (KU Leuven Institute on Sustainable Metals and Minerals)

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