Dr. Price, Kimbell School of Geosciences
Geochemistry is served by accurate data collection. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD) are techniques that rapidly ascertain the concentration of elements and their structure in solids by measuring the intensity and distribution of characteristic x-ray peaks. But accurate quantitative assessment of multi-elemental crystalline solids (such as rocks) requires careful effort to assure accurate and precise analyses. Most rocks are made of minerals, which in turn are chemically limited by atomic structure. Characterizing both composition and structure provides insights into the origins of those rocks.
In 2022. Chelsee Kirk and Nathalie Devoir successfully created a routine and materials to assess major-element oxides (the most abundant ten elements in rocks) and selected trace-elements (those typically having a few tens to thousands of milligrams for every kilogram of rock). To expand on the trace elements, Myia Davis & Jessica Walla in UGROW 23 evaluated bead and powder techniques in XRF, which helped developed a new standard technique.
Work for UGROW will develop the techniques further, integrating bead and powder analysis on the XRF and correlating it with powder analysis on the XRD. The project involves careful analytical techniques on instrumentation coupled with directed statistical analysis. The student researcher will be fully involved in evaluating the analytical routine on the instruments, and improving analytical outcomes. The researcher will learn facets of analytical chemistry, preparation of crystalline materials, contamination reduction techniques, fluorescence resolution, and statistical evaluation of chemical data; no prior knowledge of these topics is required. Successful work will produce a lab standard operating procedure for future analysis. Results should be impactful for future work in this and other geochemical labs.