Reaction cell/collisional ICP-MS for trace element mineral chemistry in ore systems

几乎任何类型的天然或合成样品都可以被引入电感耦合等离子体质谱（ICP-MS）的等离子体中，并使用等离子体中电离的元素的同位素丰度来确定化学组成。ICP-MS现在在地球和行星系统的许多地质研究中发挥着重要作用，提供元素和同位素数据。 这些数据提供了一种了解各种地质环境中岩石的方法，包括矿床的形成（即，采矿和矿物勘探）、环境监测（即，水质和尾矿）和流体-岩石相互作用（即，含水层、石油、土壤）。与地质研究中使用的其他仪器技术相比，ICP-MS具有许多优势，因为它可以对气体，液体或固体进行元素分析。 除了灵活的采样能力，非常低的检测限（万亿分之一-ppt）可以达到大多数元素与ICP-MS。有固有的因素，在仪器设计，但是，排除了几个元素的常规分析在地质研究中的重要性。该提案中的仪器采用了新的设计，可以对地质研究中几乎所有重要的元素进行常规分析，这些元素在以前的仪器中是无法测量的。如果没有这个系统，我们目前的分析设施就无法满足我们的研究目标。 该仪器将使我们能够建立空间和时间变化，可能的源矿物的成矿系统，和典型的成矿系统的痕迹签名，导致成矿机制的解释。这一工具将提供对涉及未来贱金属矿床新勘探技术的合作项目至关重要的资料。我们在实验室的理念是，所有研究人员都在我们实验室经理的指导下进行自己的分析。 因此，参与我们项目的所有研究人员都将接受使用拟议的反应池/碰撞ICP-MS的培训，从而保持分析地球化学技术的最新水平。

Virtually any type of natural or synthetic sample can be introduced into the plasma of an Inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) and the chemical composition determined using the abundance of the isotopes of elements ionized in a plasma. ICP-MS now plays an essential role in many geological studies of Earth and planetary systems for the provision of elemental and isotopic data.  These data provide a means to understand rocks in a variety of geological environments, which include the formation of ore deposits (i.e., mining and mineral exploration), environmental monitoring (i.e, water quality and mine tailings) and fluid-rock interactions (i.e., aquifers, petroleum, soils). The ICP-MS offers many advantages over other instrumental techniques used in geological studies as it allows the elemental analysis of gases, liquids, or solids.  In addition to flexible sampling capabilities, very low detection limits (parts per trillion -ppt) can be attained for most elements with ICP-MS. There are factors inherent in instrument design, however that preclude the routine analysis of several elements important in geological research. The instrument in this proposal uses a new design to allow the routine analysis of almost all elements important in geological research, which were not measurable in previous instruments. Without this system, our current analytical facilities cannot meet our research goals.   This instrument will allow us to establish the spatial and temporal variations, the possible source minerals for the ore-forming systems, and the trace signature of the typical mineralizing systems, leading to the interpretation of the mechanisms of ore formation. This instrument will provide information that will be essential in collaborative projects involving new exploration techniques for future base metal mineral deposits. Our philosophy in the lab is that all researchers do their own analyses with direction from our lab manager.  Consequently, all the researchers involved in our projects will be trained in the use of the proposed reaction cell/collisional ICP-MS, thereby remaining current in analytical geochemical techniques.