Facilities
From AGg Wiki
The Applied Geochemistry Group maintains the following analytical instrumentation for chemical and isotopic analyses on solid, liquid, and gaseous samples:
Chemical Analyses
An Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (Perkin-Elmer Aanalyst 100) for concentration analyses on cations including Na, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Li, Mn, Si, Sr, Ba, Pb, Au, Ag, Pt, Pd and Zn
A Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (Perkin-Elmer HGA-800) for trace concentration analyses on cations including Pb, As, Cd, Cr, Zn, Ba, Mg, Ca, Na, K, Sr and Ag
A Column Supression Ion Liquid Chromatograph (Dionex ICS 2000) for concentration analyses on anions including Cl, Br, F, NO3, PO4 and SO4
A Liquid Chromatograph (Waters) for concentration analyses on organic acids including formic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, n-butyric acid, iso-butyric acid, n-valeric acid and iso-valeric acid
A Gas Chromatograph (Varian Star 3600 CX) for general purpose analysis.
A Varian CP4800 Portable Gas Chromatograph for field and lab analysis of hydrocarbon gases (CO2, CH4, C2H6, He etc.)
An Orion Autochemistry 960 Autotitrator for analyses of total bicarbonate in solution
Isotope Analyses
An Elemental Analyzer (Fissons NA 1500) coupled to an isotope ratio mass spectrometer (Finnigan MAT delta plus XL) in continuous flow mode for carbon and nitrogen isotope ratio determinations on solids
A Pyrolysis Reactor (Thermo Quest TC/EA) coupled to an isotope ratio mass spectrometer (Finnigan MAT delta plus XL) in continuous flow mode for oxygen isotope ratio determinations on organics, sulfates and nitrates
A Gas Chromatograph (HP 5890) coupled to an isotope ratio mass spectrometer (Finnigan MAT delta plus XL) in continuous flow mode for carbon isotope ratio determinations of CO2, CH4, ethane, propane, butane, pentane, etc.
A Trace Gas Pre-Concentrator coupled to an isotope ratio mass spectrometer (Finnigan MAT delta plus XL) in continuous flow mode for isotope analyses on trace amounts of CO2, CH4 and N2O.
Other Analytical Capabilities
The Applied Geochemistry group has access to analytical capabilities on the University of Calgary campus and elsewhere to conduct:
- Complete mineralogical characterization of rock samples including whole rock analysis (XRD, XRF, ICP-MS), Electron-Probe Microanalysis, and semi-quantitative mineral normative calculations
- Hydrogen and oxygen isotope analyses on water samples
- Sulfur isotope analyses on solid, liquid, and gaseous samples
