FLUID INCLUSION MICROTHERMOMETRY LABORATORY

The Fluid inclusion microthermometry laboratory  offers three fluid  inclusion heating-freezing stages (-220 to +600°C), including the possibility of near-infrared microthermometry:

• Linkam THMSG 600 stage mounted on a Leica DMLB microscope, with 100x objective for microthermometry of transparent minerals ;
• USGS stage and one Linkham FTIR 600 stage mounted on an Olympus BH2 microscope, with 80x objective, for near-infrared microthermometry of opaque minerals, equipped with one Hamamatsu C2400 infrared camera and one Hitachi KP-161 CCD camera.
• High-temperature Linkam TS 1500 heating stage (up to 1500°C) for magmatic fluid inclusion and melt inclusion studies.

For information please contact :

Robert Moritz, Tel +41 22 379 66 33, Email

Schedule of the Lab

QEMSCAN QUANTA 650F

QEMSCAN technology relies on automated scanning electron microscopy where mineral identification is based on the combination of back-scattered electron values, energy-dispersive X-ray spectra, and X-ray count rates. The measurements results typically consist of high-resolution mineralogical maps offering a large set of quantitative mineralogical and petrographic data. Quantitative mineral analysis have a wide range of applications – for example in reservoir rock characterization (e.g. lithotyping, porosity quantification, particle size analyses), mining and mineral processing (e.g. mineral associations, phase liberations), as well as in fundamental research of geological (e.g. rock/soil mapping, mineral zonation studies) and man-made material materials (e.g. archaeological materials, concrete).

For information please contact :

Antoine De Haller, +41 22 379 66 07, Email
Andrea Moscariello, +41 22 37 966 10, Email
Kalin Kouzmanov, + 41 22 379 68 93, Email

High pressure laboratory

This laboratory hosts four René 41 and four Molybdenum-Hafnium Carbide (MHC) pressure vessel apparatuses, all with rapid-quench capability. Two of the MHC pressure vessel apparatuses are equipped with semi-permeable hydrogen membrane to facilitate accurate redox control. Additional equipment includes a 320-ton end-loaded piston cylinder apparatus equipped with 14 and 19 mm diameter bore pressure vessels (prototype design from Strecon AS), a 1550 oC controlled-atmosphere furnace (CO-CO2 mix) and 1650 oC and 1100 oC atmospheric box furnaces.

For information please contact :

Zoltan Zajacz - (022 37)9 6622

Raman spectroscopy laboratory

This laboratory hosts a Horiba LabRAM HR Evolution UV-VIS-NIR Raman spectrometer equipped with 405, 457 and 532 nm lasers, 600 and 1800 gr/mm gratings and a liquid nitrogen-cooled back-illuminated deep depleted 1024 X 256 pixel CCD detector. The system has an open space microscope and is optimized for conducting in situ spectroscopic experiments up to magmatic temperatures. Another strength of the system is the analysis of fluid and melt inclusions in minerals due to its excellent confocality, high signal to noise ratio and the DuoScan accessory which facilitates rapid small-scale mapping and signal acquisition from extended sample volume (e.g. for bulk inclusion analysis or to prevent sample damage due to laser heating). An older Dilor LabRAM 010 Raman spectrometer equipped with 532 and 633 nm lasers and Peltier cooled CCD detector is also available and is primarily used for routine applications such as mineral identification.

For information please contact :

Stefan Farsang - (022 37) 96676

Laser Ablation ICP-MS laboratory

This laboratory hosts an NWR-193 HE laser ablation system attached to an Agilent 8900 triple-quadrupole ICP-MS. The instrument was configured to be optimal for the analysis of fluid and melt inclusions in minerals and it also provides outstanding performance for most geochemical applications. The laser ablation system is characterized by excellent visual sample observation, high level of flexibility with beam-size and shape selection (IVA and XYR aperture systems), high attainable laser energy densities on the sample surface to facilitate the controlled ablation of quartz, a two-volume ablation cell and a sophisticated and user-friendly control software. The Agilent 8900 ICP-MS provides very high sensitivities and low backgrounds, and the system is used and maintained in a manner to preserve very low gas blanks and provide excellent limits of detection for most elements. Applications relying on the triple quadrupole design, such as in situ Sr isotope ratio determinations in minerals and glasses are currently being developed. The system shares a room with a Neptune Plus multi-collector ICP-MS, to which the laser ablation system can also be connected. Split-stream application with the simultaneous use of the two mass spectrometers is under development.

For information please contact :

Alexandra Tsay - (022 37) 96688