Acid digestions of solid samples for main and trace element analysis are carried out in a modern digestion laboratory with special digestors that are also suitable for working with hydrofluoric and perchloric acid. The samples can be prepared as open digestions using the DigiPrep heating block system (SCP Science) or as closed digestions using the Multiwave 5000 microwave reaction platform (Anton Paar).
The Vitriox Electric 4+ fusion unit from Fluxana is available for the production of glass …

This lab is dedicated to mineral synthesis and other experiments using mostly inorganic chemistry or hydrothermal synthesis methods. The lab is equipped with standard chemical laboratory equipment such as analytical balance, centrifuge, fume hood, furnaces, hotplate stirrers, ovens, dry block heater, pH meters as well as reflux setups and sonicator bath. Hydrothermal synthesis is possible in closed Teflon lined cells heated either conductively or by microwave irradiation.

This lab is dedicated for the synthesis of redox-active iron mineral phases, as well as their interaction with redox-sensitive trace elements (e.g., As, Cr,) and anaerobic microbes, under oxygen-limited conditions. It is equipped with two anaerobic chamber workstations, setup for liquid degassing to remove O₂, sample autodiluter for trace element analysis and standard chemical laboratory equipment such as analytical balance, centrifuge, fume hood, hotplate stirrer, shaking incubator, oven and …

Knowing the elastic properties of geo-materials is crucial to determine the mineralogical composition of the Earth's interior. The Brillouin scattering lab at the Helmholtz Centre Potsdam GFZ enables us to determine the velocities of sound waves in minerals, glasses and fluids to pressures of the deep Earth. We use Brillouin scattering - the inelastic scattering of laser light by thermal atomic vibrations (phonons) in the samples under investigation. We measure the frequency shift of the …

Within the research group CLEAR we endeavor to understand large scale geological processes that operate deep inside planets. Our approach is to recreate high pressure-temperature conditions in the laboratory and examine various physical properties of minerals and rocks (in situ) using state-of-the-art spectroscopic techniques. Specifically, we use statically- and dynamically-heated diamond anvil cells together with a pulsed time-resolved broadband optical probe and a precisely-synchronized …

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is a method of thermal analysis for determining the amount of heat released or consumed by a sample at a defined temperature change. For this purpose, a container with sample material and an empty reference container are simultaneously exposed to the same temperature regime. During the investigated process (phase changes and/or chemical reactions), energy is consumed or released by the sample. These exothermic or endothermic processes are mirrored by …

The TOC-L Shimadzu device measures total organic carbon (TOC).

The Geochemistry group is equipped with clean laboratory facilities used for low-blank sample preparation and element separation for isotope abundance measurements and concentration determinations of different elements in rock samples and minerals. Pre-filtered air using various pre-filters and HEPA (H13) filters are employed as well as a slight overpressure, compared to the outside air, to produce clean-lab conditions. Our Clean Laboratory (a total of ca. 105 m²) consists of two separate …

We maintain a facility for cosmogenic nuclide sample preparation for meteoric and in situ ²⁶Al and ¹⁰Be. This includes heavy liquid separation and cleaning of sample material with hydrochloric acid and hexasilicafluorid acid (HCl SiF₆) on shakers. Further leaching is carried out in low-concentrated hydrofluoric acid on hot dog rollers and in ultrasonic baths. Digestion of quartz-rich material is done on shaker tables and in a microwave digestion oven that ensure save operation. Ion-exchange …

Jaw crushers are available for crushing rocks and other geological samples. Various mills (vibrating disc mill, McCrone mill) are available for further processing, which pulverize the granulates for further analysis.