1996-97 - Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany

1996-97
Section Cutting
During the year 580 fossil samples of chert material, limestones and petrified
woods were cut. A total of approximately 1000 slides of thin sections of fossils were
prepared. In addition, 1100 slices of fossil material consisting mostly of bigger and
hard specimens were cut and polished. About 40 fossil samples were cut and polished
for presenting as gift samples to various organisations and individual scientists on
behalf of the Institute.
One "6 position Zero Bonding Jig" was added to the unit to accelerate the
process of preparation of larger number of thin section slides. An air compressor pump
was also procured for supplying compressed air to Epoma Epovac unit to strengthen!
harden the soft samples so that softer material could also be cut easily.
A number of students and scientists who visited the Institute and its Museum
also visited the Section Cutting Unit to satisfy their curiosity as to how thin sections of
fossils are cut and polished. Interested visitors were given practical demonstrations
and told about various steps involved in the preparation of slides of thin sections of
fossil material.
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