Mineral Characterisation Laboratories (Instruments)

GFZ - German Research Centre for Geosciences

last updated: March 5, 2024

About the Laboratory

Mineral Characterisation Laboratories (Instruments)

GFZ - German Research Centre for Geosciences

@ Section 3.5 Interface Geochemistry

This Laboratory is part of:

Mineral Synthesis Laboratory laboratory complex
Networks: Geo.X

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Description

The Mineral Synthesis Lab complex is equipped with a very diverse suite of spectroscopic and scattering instruments to determine material chemical composition, structure, surface area and grain size of both synthetic and natural samples.

Instruments

Surface Area Analyzer
Zeta-Potential Analyzer
Particle Analyzer
Optical Microscope
Light Microscope
UV-VIS Spectrophotometer
FTIR SPECTROMETER - Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer Traditional (dispersive) infrared techniques experience difficulties due to the '1 wavenumber at a time' nature of data acquisition. This leads to either a poor signal to noise ratio in a spectrum or a very long time needed to obtain a high quality spectrum. Both these situations cause problems with kinetic work. The first gives inherent large errors, the second prohibits in-situ work. These problems can be overcome using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) that is based on the interferometer originally designed by Michelson and a mathematical procedure developed by Fourier that converts response from the 'time' to the 'frequency' domain. In the Michelson interferometer a parallel, polychromatic beam of radiation from a source (A) is directed to a beam splitter (B), made from an infrared transparent material, such as KBr. The beam splitter reflects approximately half of the light to a mirror, known as the fixed mirror (C), which in turn reflects the light back to the beam splitter. The rest of the light passes through to a mirror, moving continuously, at a known velocity, back and forth along the direction of the incoming light and this is known as the moving mirror (D). Upon reflection from the moving mirror, radiation is then directed back to the beam splitter. At the beam splitter some of the light that has been reflected from the fixed mirror combines with light reflected from the moving mirror and is directed towards the sample. After passing through the sample (E) the radiation is focused onto the detector (F). The detectors are sufficiently fast to cope with time domain signal changes from the modulatio n in the interferometer. Additional information available at http://physics.nist.gov/Divisions/Div842/Gp1/fts_intro.html (Source: Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). 2023. GCMD Keywords, Version 16.3 [...] )
FTIR Spectrometer - Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer
An x-ray powder diffractometer is primarily used for the identification of phases in powder form. An x-ray beam of known wavelength is focused on a powdered sample and x-ray diffraction peaks are measured using a germanium detector; the d-spacing of the observed diffraction peaks is calculated using Bragg's Law [n*lamda = 2dsin(theta)]. The Scintag Pad V automated powder diffractometer uses a Cu x-ray tube with variable filters, a four-sample changer, and a low-noise, high efficiency, liquid-nitrogen cooled germanium detector. The goniometer is automated and software packages are run from a PC running Windows NT 4. A number of Scintag software packages are available for routine powder diffraction data acquisition, background correction and peak identification. Unknowns can be matched to JCPDS cards in an on-line database. Other software is available for quantitative analysis of powder mixtures, unit cell refinement, Rietveld analysis, and GSAS structural analysis. Samples sho uld be prepared as powders with a grain size of 10 um (approximately), and typically about 100 milligrams of sample is required. Additional information available at "http://www.gps.caltech.edu/facilities/analytical/xrd.html" [Summary provided by Caltech]
An x-ray powder diffractometer is primarily used for the identification of phases in powder form. An x-ray beam of known wavelength is focused on a powdered sample and x-ray diffraction peaks are measured using a germanium detector; the d-spacing of the observed diffraction peaks is calculated using Bragg's Law [n*lamda = 2dsin(theta)]. (Source: excerpt from NASA; UUID: f54aafd2-925e-4653-b897-c6ae4e094c69) (Source: Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). 2023. GCMD Keywords, Version 16.3 [...] )
XRPD - X-Ray Powder Diffractometer
PXRD, Powder X-Ray Diffractometer, XRD

Analytical Methods

Surface Area Analysis
BET Methods, Gas Sorption, Pore Volume Analysis
Zeta-Potential Measurement
Particle Analysis
Grain Size Distribution, Imaging Particle Analysis, Particle Shape, Particle Size Distribution
MICROSCOPES are instruments that magnify the image of small objects.
Laboratory methods using instruments that employ optical lenses or radiation to study objects too small to be seen by the naked eye. (Source: USGS; https://apps.usgs.gov/thesaurus/term-simple.php?thcode=2&code=740) (Source: Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). 2023. GCMD Keywords, Version 16.3 [...] )
Microscopy
Scientific techniques using a microscope with one or more lenses illuminated with visible light to view small objects. (Source: USGS; https://apps.usgs.gov/thesaurus/term-simple.php?thcode=2&code=835)
Optical Microscopy
Light Microscopy
UV-VIS Spectrophotometry
UV-VIS Spectroscopy
FTIR SPECTROMETER - Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer Traditional (dispersive) infrared techniques experience difficulties due to the '1 wavenumber at a time' nature of data acquisition. This leads to either a poor signal to noise ratio in a spectrum or a very long time needed to obtain a high quality spectrum. Both these situations cause problems with kinetic work. The first gives inherent large errors, the second prohibits in-situ work. These problems can be overcome using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) that is based on the interferometer originally designed by Michelson and a mathematical procedure developed by Fourier that converts response from the 'time' to the 'frequency' domain. In the Michelson interferometer a parallel, polychromatic beam of radiation from a source (A) is directed to a beam splitter (B), made from an infrared transparent material, such as KBr. The beam splitter reflects approximately half of the light to a mirror, known as the fixed mirror (C), which in turn reflects the light back to the beam splitter. The rest of the light passes through to a mirror, moving continuously, at a known velocity, back and forth along the direction of the incoming light and this is known as the moving mirror (D). Upon reflection from the moving mirror, radiation is then directed back to the beam splitter. At the beam splitter some of the light that has been reflected from the fixed mirror combines with light reflected from the moving mirror and is directed towards the sample. After passing through the sample (E) the radiation is focused onto the detector (F). The detectors are sufficiently fast to cope with time domain signal changes from the modulatio n in the interferometer. Additional information available at http://physics.nist.gov/Divisions/Div842/Gp1/fts_intro.html
Infrared spectroscopy in which a Fourier-transform spectrometer is used to separate the transmitted radiation into its component wavenumbers. (Source: IUPAC; https://iupac.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/PAC-REC-19-02-03.R2_PR191002MC.pdf (Source: Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). 2023. GCMD Keywords, Version 16.3 [...] )
FTIR Spectroscopy - Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy
An x-ray powder diffractometer is primarily used for the identification of phases in powder form. An x-ray beam of known wavelength is focused on a powdered sample and x-ray diffraction peaks are measured using a germanium detector; the d-spacing of the observed diffraction peaks is calculated using Bragg's Law [n*lamda = 2dsin(theta)]. The Scintag Pad V automated powder diffractometer uses a Cu x-ray tube with variable filters, a four-sample changer, and a low-noise, high efficiency, liquid-nitrogen cooled germanium detector. The goniometer is automated and software packages are run from a PC running Windows NT 4. A number of Scintag software packages are available for routine powder diffraction data acquisition, background correction and peak identification. Unknowns can be matched to JCPDS cards in an on-line database. Other software is available for quantitative analysis of powder mixtures, unit cell refinement, Rietveld analysis, and GSAS structural analysis. Samples sho uld be prepared as powders with a grain size of 10 um (approximately), and typically about 100 milligrams of sample is required. Additional information available at "http://www.gps.caltech.edu/facilities/analytical/xrd.html" [Summary provided by Caltech] (Source: Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). 2023. GCMD Keywords, Version 16.3 [...] )
XRPD - X-Ray Powder Diffraction
PXRD, Powder X-Ray Diffraction, X-Ray Diffraction, X-Ray Diffraction Analysis, XRD

Laboratory Keywords

In addition to the instruments and analytical methods listed above, these keywords help to describe the work done in the laboratory. This may include the type of samples, standard materials, specific preparative or analytical methods and specific instrument characteristics.

ζ Potential

Disciplines

Geoscience > Geochemistry > Geochemistry
Geochemistry
Geoscience > Geochemistry > Mineralogy
Mineralogy

The Research Network for Geosciences in Berlin and Potsdam

Mineral Characterisation Laboratories (Instruments)

GFZ - German Research Centre for Geosciences

About the Laboratory

Mineral Characterisation Laboratories (Instruments)

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Description

Instruments

Analytical Methods

Laboratory Keywords

Disciplines

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