Clean Lab & Instrumentation

Clean Laboratory

The Environment

The Isotropics Geochemistry Laboratory is a specially designed metal free laboratory to enable contamination free processing of geological samples.  The lab is equipped with:

• Real-time monitored temperature and humidity controlled and positive-pressure environment
• Two Hamilton 1.2m ducted fume hoods for hydrofluoric and perchloric acid use
• Three ductless laminar flow chemical workstations (one AirClean 1.2m station; two TopAir XL 1.5m stations)
• A positive-pressure laminar flow clean bench (Heraguard™ ECO 1.5m)
• Two Savillex DST-1000 acid distillation units for double-distilled HNO₃ and double-distilled HCl production
• Four Analab A3 hotplates, housed within two custom-built, two-tier passive extraction chambers for sample processing.
• State-of-the-art multi-pronged Milli-Q® IQ 7015 Ultrapure Water System, including: one IQ Element dispenser for highest purity needs (>18.2 MΩ), one Type 1 (18.2 MΩ) dispenser, and one Type 1/2 (15 MΩ) dispenser

Analyte Separation Capabilities

Along with conventional chromatographic columns the Isotropics Geochemistry Laboratory has several instruments to aid in the purification of analytes from interfering matrix elements.

• Elemental Scientific SeaFast (This system allows for the automated pre-concentration of transition metals and rare Earth elements in aqueous samples)
• Coy Laboratories Type B Vinyl Anaerobic Chamber (This chamber maintains an oxygen-free environment to aid in the preferential dissolution of specific minerals during leaching experiments)
• Venturi-driven vacuum system; Triskem vacuum boxes for enhanced flow rate ion exchange chromatography (IEC)

Instrumentation

Researchers within the Isotropics Geochemistry Laboratory have access to a wide range of instruments that are housed within the adjacent Advanced Analytical Centre. Most of our work is focused through the ICP (Induction Coupled Plasma) Instrument Room, where we operate the following instruments:

Major Trace Elements

• Agilent 5900 ICP-OES coupled to an Agilent SPS 4 Autosampler (for major elements via solution)
• Thermo Scientific iCAP RQ ICP-MS coupled to a Teledyne Photon Machine Analyte G2 Laser (for trace elements via laser ablation)
• Thermo Scientific iCAP TQ ICP-MS coupled to a Cetac ASX-560 Autosampler (for trace elements via solution)
• A custom-built, positive-pressure HEPA-filtered enclosure for the CETAC ASX-560 autosampler (which minimizes exogenous contamination of samples during analysis significantly lowering detection limits)

Isotopic Characterisation

• Thermo Scientific Neptune MC-ICP-MS (Radiogenic & novel stable isotopes)
• An ESI SC-2DX autosampler with a custom-built, positive-pressure HEPA-filtered enclosure (to minimizes exogenous contamination of samples during analysis)

Depending on the application the Neptune can be operated with several introduction systems:

• Wet Plasma: Using a double pass cyclonic spray chamber coupled to an ESI 2DX Autosampler (normal operating mode for standard solution applications)
• Dry Plasma: Using an Cetac Aridus 3 desolvator coupled to Cetac ASX-112FR Autosampler (significantly increases the sensitivity allowing smaller/low concentration samples to be analysed)
• Laser Ablation: By connecting the Teledyne Analyte G2 Laser directly to the Neptune (allows direct characterization of radiogenic isotope compositions of minerals in-situ)