Mary Lardie flame-sealing organic carbon samples in combustion tubes on the vacuum-line system.

The Sample Preparation Laboratory

The Sample Preparation Lab (SPL) is staffed by 4-5 full-time technicians who process all natural carbon samples submitted to the facility and produce graphite (solid carbon) samples for AMS analysis, including standards and blanks. Members of the SPL maintain and upgrade apparatus as well as the automation software that controls all processes.

Procedures and Laboratory Capabilities of the SPL

	Transferring pre-treated wood on filter to a petri dish for drying.

Isolation of organic materials

• Preparative capillary gas-liquid chromatography (PCGC)
  
• High-performance liquid chromatography
  
• Acid-base-acid removal of carbonate and humic acids

• Acidification of carbonate minerals
  
• Organic carbon, combustion
  
  • Elemental analyzer (> 1% C)
  • Sealed-tube combustion
    
• Dissolved inorganic carbon in natural waters
  • Acidification and purging

	Josh Burton sets up to sparge a suite of acidified seawater samples.

• Automated systems
• Samples 2 - 100 µmol C


• Manual systems, 1 - 100 µmol C