Skip to main navigationSkip to main content
The University of Southampton
Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton

Research project: Clean Chemistry Laboratories

Currently Active: 
Yes

Our state of the art clean lab suite (installed in 2003) consists of 6 class 100 lab spaces specially designed for low concentration level sample preparation. To ensure there is minimal risk of environmental contamination from dust and metal sources our clean lab suite is metal free and overpressurised with high purity (HEPA filtered) air. In addition our facilities are equipped for handling hydrofluoric acid (HF) for sample dissolution.

Lab Capabilities

  • Purpose built balance room with annually calibrated 5 figure balance.
  • Six fume cupboards equipped with scrubber units for HF handling and other high concentration acids.
  • Nine "EDP" Perspex clean boxes with HEPA air filters (to apply positive air flow).
  • Teflon stills for redistilling acids to ultra-pure (UPA) class level.
  • Milli-Q water dispensing units (Q-Pod type).

Current lab use

  • Our clean lab facilities provide support for our analytical capability by providing a clean and safe environment to prepare samples for analyses (Typically TIMS and ICP-MS).
  • Our labs are set up for the following:
    • Sample dissolution using various acids, including HF.
    • Preparation of acids and reagents, including ultra pure class acid manufacture by distillation.
    • Chromatography (by column chemistry)
      To exploit the behavioural tendencies of different elements with various acids and acid strengths to extract elements of interest for analyses.
  • Current isotope system provision includes Boron (B), Strontium (Sr), Neodymium (Nd), Lead (Pb), Chromium (Cr), and Magnesium (Mg).

Associated research themes

Instruments and Labs

Related research groups

Geochemistry
Share this research project Share this on Facebook Share this on Twitter Share this on Weibo
Privacy Settings