Re: paleonet Calcispheres

["_._." <corvid@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 5:35 PM -0400 5/16/02, David Campbell answered:


>Some hair bleaching formulas contain peroxides at varying strengths, and I
>have heard of sedimentologists finding them useful for their samples.
>Perhaps experimentation with them would find a concentration that
>disaggregates shales with less damage to the fossils.
>
>    Dr. David Campbell


To this I add the suggestion of trying  freeze-thaw cycles to mechanically
break down the samples prior to using hydrogen peroxide or soaps.

 I seem to recall that boiling limestone samples in industrial soaps works
pretty well, but I have never done this myself so I have no details.
Perhaps Johnny Waters has some info on this technique
(http://www.westga.edu/~geology/).

Christopher Crow


>>I also need some help with my samples (shale and marls), I been trying
>>several techniques to disaggregate them, but they are too indurated. So
>>far, the only procedure that had given me results is the hydrogen
>>peroxide, but my forams and other microfossils are being corroded. I
>>tried also several soaps and I even with kerosene, but nothing seem to
>>affect them.

>>Fabián Duque-Botero