W. M. KECK ISOTOPE LABORATORY

Wet Chemistry Laboratory

The Keck Isotope Laboratory contains a suite of wet chemistry labs housed in a Class 1000 environment for sample preparation. Here samples for TIMS or Neptune analysis can be prepared in a metal-free clean environment to ensure contamination-free sample processing.

We have the facility to produce low blank reagents by sub-boiling distillation using either a two-teflon bottle stills or a quartz still.

Samples can be purified using ion exchange techniques. We routinely purify samples for Sr, Nd, Pb, U, Th and Hf isotopes and have a range of columns available.

Once purified, samples are dried down in our laminar flow hoods for analysis on either the TIMS or Neptune instruments.

We use teflon coated hot plates throughout the wet chemistry labs. These offer a safe and clean mechanism for drying samples down. These hot plates are shown in the photograph and can be purchased from Daniel Sampson (des@es.ucsc.edu).

All users of the wet labs must have carried out the following EH and S safety courses.

Introduction to Lab Safety

Hazardous Waste Disposal and Procedures

Hydrofluoric acid safety

It is recommended that users attend:

Radioisotope lab safety

To sign up for these courses visit: http://bas.ucsc.edu/events/.

Once you have attended these courses please sign in the Lab Operations Manual the date you attended these courses.

There is a flat rate for the use of the Wet Chemistry Labs to cover the costs of the consumables. Please be prepared to pay when you use the lab facilities.

For details on how to dissolve samples and process them for chemical separation go to the following link: http://keckisotope.ucsc.edu/Chemistry.html