Laboratory

The BOAT group are fortunate to operate state-of-the-art laboratory facilities at the Geopolis, University of Lausanne. We operate the following lab spaces, analytical equipment and procedures.

  • Neptune Multicollector ICP-MS
  • Agilent 8700 Triple Quadrupole ICP-MS
  • ISO6 Clean Room, with ISO1 extraction hoods (serviced 02-22)
  • MWS ultraCLAVE microwave chamber for HBF4 sediment digestion

Common Procedures

  • REE Purification through Column Chemistry (Cr, Pb, Nd, U, Th)
  • Clean acid distillation
  • Sortable silt grainsize analysis
  • Authigenic sediment leaching (Nd, Pb, U)
  • Physical sedimentology
  • Modern chemical oceanography (GEOTRACES)

Clean lab

Preparation room with a controlled level of particle contamination meeting the standard ISO 6 (class 1000). The lab is equipped with two extraction hoods and three laminar flow hoods for which the particle concentration level meets the standard ISO 4 (class 10). The clean lab is used for partial or complete dissolution of samples for which chemical and isotopic analyses through liquid phase mass spectrometry are planned.

Mass Spectrometry Laboratory

The ICP-MS laboratory is equipped with a suite of state-of-the-art equipment for the measurement of elemental concentrations and isotopic compositions, inclucing a Thermofisher Neptune+ Multicollector ICP-MS, and an Agilent 8700 Triple Quadrupole ICP-MS. Sample introduction is facilitated though both solution and laser ablation modes.

Other laboratories in the Institute for Earth Sciences are listed here.