Experimental Petrology Laboratory

Our new laboratory for high pressure-temperature research, here at Rice, presently houses two piston cylinder devices with 250-ton (picture below) and 150-ton end load. Both the devices are capable of generating pressure up to 4 GPa and temperature up to 2000 °C. We also have a Deltech 1-atmosphere furnace with gas mixing capabilities and several bench-top muffle furnaces for sample preparation and drying.

For analysis of the experimental run products, we take advantage of the laser ablation ICP-MS facilities supervised by Prof. Cin-Ty Lee. The LA-ICP-MS facility features a New-Wave 213 nm laser coupled to a ThermoFinnigan Element 2 magnetic sector ICP-MS.

The other analytical facilities in the Earth Science department, that are of use to us, include a ThermoNicolet FTIR microscope and a JEOL JXA 840 scannic electron microscope (SEM).

In addition, we rely heavily on a range of analytical instruments in the Shared Equipment Authority (SEA) of Rice University. Instruments at SEA include several SEMs, TEMs, Raman spectroscope, and XRDs. To learn the range of analytical capabilities at SEA, click here.

as of September 16, 2010