Abstract: A core sample collector includes a cylinder and a piston, wherein the piston includes a piston body, upper piston rings and lower piston rings, and a sterilizing agent is held in a space defined between the piston, the cylinder, the upper piston ring and the lower piston ring. The sterilizing agent may be an antimicrobial polymeric gel. A core sample is collected by contacting the cylinder against a surface from which the core sample is to be taken, and causing relative movement between the cylinder and the piston such that: (i) the sterilizing agent is applied to the inner peripheral wall surface of the cylinder, (ii) the upper and lower piston rings scrape the sterilizing agent from the inner peripheral wall, and (iii) a core is received in the cylinder.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of coring a crustal core sample, which comprises using a crustal core sampler equipped with a flow-able coating material-ejecting mechanism for ejecting a flow-able coating material, and ejecting the flow-able coating material composed of a polymer substance having a colloidal particles capturing ability by aggregating function and a water-absorbing polymer substance, from the flow-able coating material-ejecting mechanism of the crustal core sampler thereby coring a crustal core sample in a state coated with the flow-able coating material.

Abstract: A method of taking a crustal core sample, wherein the crustal core sample is obtained in a state coated with an antimicrobial polymeric gel formed of a polymer and an inorganic antimicrobial agent dispersed in the polymer. The inorganic antimicrobial agent is a compound containing at least one of silver, zinc or ions thereof. The inorganic antimicrobial agent is carried on a carrier material. The polymer forming the antimicrobial polymeric gel contains a hydrophilic group, and the antimicrobial polymeric gel contains the inorganic antimicrobial agent in a proportion of 0.0001 to 10.0 mass %.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of coring a crustal core sample, which comprises using a crustal core sampler equipped with a flow-able coating material-ejecting mechanism for ejecting a flow-able coating material, and ejecting the flow-able coating material composed of a polymer substance having a colloidal particles capturing ability by aggregating function and a water-absorbing polymer substance, from the flow-able coating material-ejecting mechanism of the crustal core sampler thereby coring a crustal core sample in a state coated with the flow-able coating material.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a core sample collector comprising a cylinder and a piston, wherein the piston is equipped with a sterilizing agent-applying mechanism and a sterilizing agent-scraping member. The piston is composed of a piston body, upper piston rings and lower piston rings, and the sterilizing agent-applying mechanism is preferably made up by holding the sterilizing agent within a space partitioned by the upper piston ring and the lower piston ring. The sterilizing agent is preferably an antimicrobial polymeric gel. A method of taking a core sample, comprising using the core sample collector is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method of taking a crustal core sample, wherein the crustal core sample is obtained in a state coated with an antimicrobial polymeric gel formed of a polymer obtained by polymerizing an antimicrobial monomer, preferably a quaternary ammonium salt compound. The polymer preferably contains a component derived from the antimicrobial monomer in a proportion of 1 to 10 mol%.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of taking a crustal core sample, wherein the crustal core sample is obtained in a state coated with antimicrobial polymeric gel formed of a polymer and an inorganic antimicrobial agent dispersed in the polymer. It is preferred that the inorganic antimicrobial agent is a compound containing at least one of silver, zinc, copper and ions thereof, the inorganic antimicrobial agent is carried onto a carrier material, the polymer forming the antimicrobial polymeric gel contains a hydrophilic group, and the antimicrobial polymeric gel contains the inorganic antimicrobial agent in a proportion of 0.0001 to 10.0 mass %.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of taking a crustal core sample, wherein the crustal core sample is obtained in a state coated with antimicrobial polymeric gel obtained by polymerizing an antimicrobial monomer. It is preferred that antimicrobial monomer is a quaternary ammonium salt compound, and the polymer contains a component derived from the antimicrobial monomer in a proportion of 1 to 10 mol %.