The Laboratory of Geochemical Microanalysis of IGG-CNR (Italy) provides
an integrated system of expertise, instrumental facilities and
analytical protocols, suitable to accurately determine both the
elemental and isotopic composition at tens-of-microns-scale (LAM & SIMS
& EMPA). Thanks to the presence of a SIMS and of several LA-ICP-MS
probes, the analytical skills of the IGG-CNR of Pavia include:
-
Quantitative chemical micro-analysis (scale: 8-100 μm) of solid
matrices to determine the concentration (from wt.% to ppb level) of
Li, Be, B, Na, Mg, Al, Si, P, K, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu,
Zn, Ga, Ge, As, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ag, Cs, Ba, La, Ce, Pr, Nd,
Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Hf, Ta, Au, Bi, Th and U:
detection limits typically at ppb-ppm;
-
Quantitative chemical micro-analysis (scale: 5-20 μm) of the content
(from wt.% to tens of ppm) of volatile elements (H, F, Cl) in solid
matrices;
-
Micro-analytical determination (at 10-60 μm scale) of the U-Th-Pb
isotopic composition of zircons, monazites, titanites, rutiles for
geochronological purposes;
-
Research activity. Due to the strong analytical flexibility and the
wide variety of expertise, the associated analytical laboratory of
IGG-Pavia and Padova can provide an integrated multi-technique
approach for the investigation of the physicochemical processes in
all natural and synthetic systems which require the geochemical
characterization of mineral or inorganic phases, as well as the
characterization of the geochemical composition of glasses, melt
inclusions and/or lavas while considering spatial compositional
heterogeneity at micro and/or nano-scale.
Although many applications have been developed for issues related to
environmental sciences, human health, archaeometry (glass, ceramics,
bricks, alloys) and industrial materials (glasses, alloys), the lab has
a world-renown reputation for studies related to the Solid Earth
Sciences, including extraterrestrial materials, among which we remind:
-
Characterization of the chemical/physical parameters that rule the
production, migration and emplacement of melts and fluids from
mantle and crustal levels up to the surface, in all the geodynamic
environments;
-
Characterization of mineral/fluid chemical exchanges in reactive
processes;
-
Quantification of mineral/liquid and mineral/mineral trace-element
partition coefficients in both natural and synthetic systems, as
well as characterization of their correct mechanisms of
incorporation in minerals;
-
Detection and quantification of light, trace and volatile elements
in melt inclusions from volcanic materials;
-
Quantification of H and volatile elements (F, Cl) on a wide range of
concentrations, in a variety of matrices;
-
U-Pb geochronology of geological processes, from crystallization to
cooling;
-
Models for melt/fluid partitioning of light, volatiles and trace
elements;
-
Kinetics of cation ordering at controlled temperature;
-
Geothermometry and geobarometry of minerals and rocks
