Acquisition of a Microwave Digestion System for Geochemical and Geochronological Applications

该项目包括获取微波消解系统和开发用于地球化学和地质年代学应用的微波样品制备技术。微波消解系统为多种地质物质的消解提供了一种安全、清洁和高效的机制，用于高精度的微量元素丰度和同位素比测量，并通过大大加快消解和干燥时间来提高样品吞吐量。微波消解系统对于铼-锇同位素和铂族元素的研究是一种替代Carius管消解的方法，对于微量元素、铀系不平衡和钐-钕地质年代学的研究是一种替代铁氟隆弹消解的方法。该设备广泛用于各种正在进行的资助研究项目，涉及迈阿密大学地质学教师、研究生和本科生。此外，微波系统用于教学课程的实验练习，以培养学生的样品溶解技术和最先进的分析技术，包括电感耦合等离子体质谱和热电离体质谱。

0549552WidomThis project involves the acquisition of a microwave digestion system and the development of microwave sample preparation techniques for geochemical and geochronological applications. The microwave digestion system provides a safe, clean and efficient mechanism for digestion of diverse geologic materials for high precision trace element abundance and isotope ratio measurements, and allows for increased sample throughput afforded by substantially faster digestion and dry-down times. The microwave digestion system is particularly important as an alternative to Carius tube digestions for rhenium-osmium isotope and platinum group element studies, and as an alternative to teflon bomb digestions for dissolution of resistant phases (e.g. zircon, pyrochlore, spinel, chromite, fluorite) for trace element, uranium series disequilibria and samarium-neodymium geochronology studies. This equipment is used extensively in diverse on-going funded research projects involving Geology faculty and graduate and undergraduate students at Miami University. In addition, the microwave system is used for teaching in courses with lab-based exercises to train students in sample dissolution techniques and state-of-the-art analytical techniques including inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and thermal ionization mass spectrometry.