GeoAnalytical Laboratory--Radiogenic Isotope Facility
Contact Information
Instrument Type
Application:
Typical Use:
The Department of Geology at Washington State University has been recently equipped with a ThermoFinnigan Neptune MC-ICPMS. The Neptune is a doubly focusing, plasma source multicollector mass spectrometer that offers high elemental sensitivities (~80V/ ppm Hf at an aspiration rate of 0.05 ml/min). The Neptune has nine movable Faraday collectors and one high-sensitivity ion-counting electron multiplier. This collector configuration has wide-ranging utility in measuring high precision isotope ratios in a variety of isotopic systems including both Lu and Hf. We are now routinely analyzing Hf isotopes with high precision and accuracy: 176Hf/177Hf = 0.282144???11(1), 178Hf/177Hf = 1.467209???35(4), 180Hf/177Hf = 1.886678???95 (11); 2 SD on last 79 standard runs over the last year (2 SE in parentheses); no efficiencies or secondary corrections applied. The 176Hf/177Hf of the standard generally reproduces for each analytical session (1 day) within a total range of 0.000010. Similar precision and accuracy is routinely attainable with Nd isotopic measurements.
To support the Neptune, we have a HEPA-filtered ~900 ft3 class 1000 clean laboratory that is used to perform chemical separations of Lu-Hf, Sm-Nd, Rb-Sr, U-Th-Pb, and HFSE using column chromatography. This lab is now fully functional with low-blank distilled water, quartz and Savillex stills for generating low-blank HCl, HNO3, and HF acids, thoroughly calibrated mixed Lu-Hf, Sm-Nd, and Rb-Sr spikes, and ion-exchange columns for Lu-Hf, Rb-Sr, Sm-Nd, and U-Th-Pb separations.
Conditions for Use:
Visitors are invited to work in the lab to work with lab personnel
Visitors are invited to work in the lab to design and do the work yourself
Training Session (short course) is offered