Carbonate Petrology and Characterization Laboratory

  • High-temperature laboratory experiments provide insights into dolomite kinetics.

  • A graduate student performs high-precision measurements

    High-precision measurements of mass are required to control experimental variables.

  • A graduate student performs X-ray diffraction

    X-ray diffraction analysis allows detailed characterization of the mineralogy of crystalline samples.

  • High-resolution imaging and elemental mapping is accomplished using SEM-EDS.

  • X-ray fluorescence provides rapid elemental analysis of geological materials.

Carbonate Petrology & Characterization Lab (CPCL)

The Carbonate Petrology and Characterization Laboratory (CPCL) a part of the Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences at Western Michigan University. The CPCL is a collaborative research facility headed by Dr. Stephen Kaczmarek. The CPCL is equipped with various laboratory and analytical instruments for materials characterization and experimental petrology.

Instrumentation

  • XRD 2nd Generation Bruker D2 Phaser X-ray Diffractometer
    • Mineralogical characterization of carbonate rock and mineral samples
  • SEM-EDS JEOL-JSM-IT100LA Scanning Electron Microscope w/EDS
    • High-resolution imaging and elemental detection with spatial mapping
  • XRF Bruker Elemental Tracer IV-SD System portable XRF Analyzer
    • Elemental characterization of rock and mineral samples
  • TSP Zeiss AxioPlan 2 Petrographic Microscope with digital camera
    • Thin-section characterization of sedimentary rocks
  • High-resolution digital scanner
    • Slabbed core and thin section imaging

Expert user service fees: collaborative basis

  • SEM: On-campus - $40/hour; Off-campus - $60/hour
  • XRD: On-campus - $20/hour; Off-campus - $40/hour
  • XRF: On-campus - $20/hour; Off-campus - $40/hour
  • TSP: On-campus - $10/hour; Off-campus - $30/hour

Assisted user service fees: collaborative basis

  • SEM-EDS: On-campus - $70/hour; Off-campus - $90/hour
  • XRD: On-campus - $42/hour; Off-campus - $62/hour
  • XRF: On-campus - $40/hour; Off-campus - $60/hour
  • TSP: On-campus - $50/hour; Off-campus - $70/hour

Full-service fees: non-collaborative basis

  • SEM-EDS: $150/hour
  • XRD: $80/hour
  • XRF: $60/hour
  • TSP: $90/hour

Miscellaneous laboratory instrumentation

  • Teflon-lined, acid-digestion (23 ml capacity) autoclaves (Parr Instruments)
  • Herathem (Thermo Scientific) high-precision density convection ovens
  • Metler-Toledo XSE104 high-precision electronic balances
  • Eppendorf 5417C centrifuge

Research partnerships