This project aims to develop a new sample cell capable of high-throughput applications using laser ablation instruments, which may involve LA-ICP-MS and/or LIBS. The instrumentation developed would be used for the scanning of large sections of drill half-core.

Stages within this project include prototype development and performance testing.

During 2019, testing of the third prototype of the fast response cell was completed using biological samples. The testing has demonstrated that imaging of elemental distribution can be conducted at a speed up to ten times faster than what was possible with standard instrumentation, while maintaining the required limits of detection. Initial testing on geological materials has confirmed that the instrumentation is capable of quantitative characterisation of mineral micro-inclusions. Testing will continue in 2020 with the aim of developing quantitative methods for mineral analysis.

This project aims to develop a new sample cell capable of high-throughput applications using laser ablation instruments, which may involve LA-ICP-MS and/or LIBS. The instrumentation developed would be used for the scanning of large sections of drill half-core.

Stages within this project include prototype development and performance testing.

During 2018, the third prototype of the fast response cell was developed. The design was informed by testing done on the previous prototype in 2017. Testing of the third prototype involved conducting analyses and assessing the behaviour of the fast-washout instrumentation set-up during routine analytical runs. The initial testing runs have indicated that the current data reduction software is unable to efficiently process the data acquired with the new cell design. Changes have been discussed with TOFWERK and a new release of the data reduction software was made available in late 2018 which will allow testing of the prototype to continue in 2019.

This project aims to develop a new sample cell capable of high-throughput applications using laser ablation instruments, which may involve LA-ICP-MS and/or LIBS. The instrumentation developed would be used for the scanning of large sections of drill half-core. Stages within this project include prototype development and performance testing.

During the year, a range of tests were carried out in order to understand the influence of ablation of uneven, unpolished and tilted surfaces on the determined compositions. Several designs of a fast response, small volume funnel were tested in order to develop a new design with an improved response, as a major step in developing the fast-throughput cell.

The newly developed design of the fast response funnel was tested by coupling it to the Time-of-Flight (TOF) mass-spectrometer. Applications involved zircon dating and determination of the size of inclusions based on fixed-spot and line-scan data.

This project aims to develop a new sample cell capable of high-throughput applications using laser ablation instruments, which may involve LA-ICP-MS and/or LIBS. The instrumentation developed would be used for the scanning of large sections of drill half-core. Stages within this project include prototype development and performance testing.

During the year, the team focused on testing the importance of several variables, such as cell orifice diameter and the distance between the sample and the top of the cell. The impact of uneven sample surface on the detection limits, and quantification of LA-ICP-MS data were also tested. Together with performance testing of the first prototype of the fast response cell, these measurements helped to inform design of the second prototype cell.