Acquisition of an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer

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0216928WolffKnowledge of the chemical compositions of rocks is essential for understanding Earth processes. In particular, chemical analysis is a major part of the investigation of igneous rocks. X-ray fluorescence is the primary workhorse technique providing accurate and precise analyses of the major chemical constituents of rocks, plus some important minor and trace elements. Centralized analytical services have the benefit of being cost-effective, and of reducing noise from inter-laboratory discrepancies in the geochemical data used by the scientific community. The GeoAnalytical Lab at Washington State University has offered such a centralized XRF service for over two decades. The current spectrometer has been in operation since 1987, and needs replacement. This grant will enable the WSU Lab to purchase a new spectrometer, in order to continue to provide a reliable major- and trace-element analytical service to the geochemical community. Installation of the new instrument will improve sample throughput and turnaround time, and significantly enhance data quality for some trace elements, as well as enabling the Lab to continue to provide a service for the next decade or more. ***