Research Facilities

The Department has four floors of dedicated, serviced laboratories containing a wide range of analytical equipment to enable cutting-edge research in a broad range of disciplines. Of these laboratories, eight are designated as Small Research Facilities (SRFs). The Small Research Facilities are run within the Department and are also available for use by external parties.

For more information, please follow the links below.

 

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The Clean Suite Facility consists of 10 Class 10,000 (ISO Class 7) metal-free laboratories each fitted with 5 Class 100 (ISO Class 5) laminar flow/exhaust hoods and a fume hood. The facility is used for:

  • Ultra-clean metal-free preparation of a variety of sample materials for trace metal concentration and high precision trace metal isotope ratio analysis.
  • Cleaning of plastics for ultra-clean sample collection and processing.
  • Sub-boiling distillation of ultra-pure mineral acids and other laboratory reagents.
  • Production of ultra pure water (18.2 MΩ·cm).

The Geological Facilities comprise a mixture of lab facilities, including: 

  • Optics Lab 
  • Compactor Rock Storage
  • Rock Crushing 
  • Rock Preparation Suite
  • Rock Thin Sectioning
  • Rock Cutting 
  • Polishing Laboratory
  • Minerology Laboratory
  • Elementary Laboratory
  • Wet Chemistry
  • Sedimentology and Mineral Separation 
  • Mudrock Observatory 

For more information please contact Emily Donald.

The Stable Isotope Laboratory is equipped with a Thermo Delta V Advantage isotope ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS) coupled to a range of peripherals.

Peripherals include: i) A Kiel IV carbonate preparation device, ii) a Gasbench II & CTC Analytics auto-sampler for automated carbonate and solution isotopic analyses, iii) a Thermo Isolink CN Elemental Analyser and Conflo IV for C/N ratios, weight %C, weight %N, δ13C, δ15N. We have a carbonate roasting device and an offline gas purification line for working with less conventional samples.

We measure an abundance of marine and terrestrial carbonates (δ13C, δ18O); waters and pore solutions (δ2H, δ18O); organic matter (δ13C, δ15N, %C, %N, C/N); δ13C of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in solutions; δ13C, δ18O in enamel samples for archaeology projects.

Our instruments cater for a wide range of solid sample masses (from ~ 20 to 100’s of ug) depending on sample availability and homogeneity. Solution measurements are made on 0.5 mL solution (or less, where necessary). In addition to conventional geological measurements we undertake specific projects (e.g. measuring chemical reaction rates with carefully enriched isotopic solutions). All measurement runs are tailored to user requirements and are assessed for precision and accuracy using internationally recognised standards.

For more information or to discuss measurement requirements, please contact Chris Day.