MRI: Acquisition Of A New Stable Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer

0116334来自主要研究仪器(MRI)的HumphreySupport将用于获得一个稳定的同位素比质谱仪，该质谱仪配有一台气相色谱仪、水平衡装置、自动碳酸盐提取系统和自动取样器。这个现代化的模块化系统将取代已有20年历史的质谱仪和辅助真空管，成为科罗拉多矿业学院(CSM)获取稳定同位素数据的主要研究工具。过时的设备将被保留下来，作为研究生教育的教学工具。新系统的主要优势将是它能够常规地处理非常小的样本量，在某些情况下比现有设施的样本量小几个数量级。例如，新系统可以分析5-10微克范围的碳酸盐样品和200-300微升范围的水样，而以前的设备只能分别准确地测量毫克和毫升范围。此外，样品的制备和引入质谱仪将完全自动化，允许更大的样品产量和有效利用研究人员的时间和资源。新设备将用于研究各种地球系统，其中氢、碳、氮、氧和硫的同位素分析尤为关键。CSM的12名教职员工目前正在进行利用稳定同位素地球化学的研究项目。新仪器将为地质和地质工程系、化学和地球化学系以及环境科学和工程学系的教职员工提供服务。需要稳定同位素数据的学院研究的特定领域包括应用和基本主题，包括碳酸盐岩的水/岩石相互作用和成岩作用、地质微生物学、生物修复、石油储集层特征、热液蚀变、石油和天然气特征、金属矿床的地球化学、大陆古气候学和环境地球化学。

0116334HumphreySupport from the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) will be used to acquire a stable isotope ratio mass spectrometer coupled with a gas chromatograph, water equilibration device, automated carbonate extraction system, and an auto-sampler. This modern modular system will replace a twenty-year-old mass spectrometer and ancillary vacuum lines as the primary research instrument for obtaining stable isotope data at the Colorado School of Mines (CSM). The outdated equipment will be retained as teaching tools for graduate education. A primary advantage of a new system will be its ability to routinely handle very small sample sizes, in some cases several orders of magnitude smaller than that possible with the existing facilities. For example, carbonate samples in the 5-10 microgram range and water samples in the 200-300 microliter range can be analyzed with the new system, whereas the previous facilities could only accurately measure in the milligram and milliliter ranges, respectively. Further, sample preparation and introduction into the mass spectrometer will be fully automated, allowing for greater sample through-put and efficient use of researchers' time and resources. The new equipment will be used to study a variety of earth systems for which the isotopic analysis of hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur is particularly critical. Twelve faculty members at CSM currently have ongoing research programs utilizing stable isotope geochemistry. The new instrumentation will service faculty from the Department of Geology and Geological Engineering, the Department of Chemistry and Geochemistry, and the Division of Environmental Science and Engineering. Specific areas of faculty research that require stable isotope data encompass both applied and fundamental topics, including water/rock interaction and diagenesis of carbonate rocks, geomicrobiology, bioremediation, petroleum reservoir characterization, hydrothermal alteration, petroleum and natural gas characterization, geochemistry of metalliferous ore deposits, continental paleoclimatology, and environmental geochemistry.***