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| Room |
Experimental Geochemistry Laboratory
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| Location |
Rm. M3047,
3rd floor,
Bldg. 15 (McKelvey Bldg.)
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| Size |
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| Contact |
Robert J. Rosenbauer
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| Description |
Laboratory experiments can provide information on organic and inorganic reactions and equilibration rates among minerals, ionic species, and gas components.
This laboratory attempts to simulate the natural environment under controlled conditions and often provides an understanding of natural processes by limiting the number of variables.
The experimental laboratory is designed to investigate the interaction of fluids with a variety of geologic materials over a wide range of temperature and pressure.
Both fixed-volume and collapsible reaction cells are used to enable the study of complex liquid-vapor-solid systems.
The equipment has the unique capability of sampling the fluid at constant temperature and pressure to evaluate the progress of reaction.
These cells are internally composed of gold and titanium, and they provide a completely inert reaction environment even at extremes of redox and pH conditions.
We have utilized these cells to carry out studies both for heterogeneous water-rock systems, and for highly constrained simple systems such as NaCl-H2O.
The results of many experiments have added to our understanding of hydrothermal systems in general and have provided specific data on the transport and deposition of metals in both vapor and liquid phases, on the sources of dissolved gas, salts, and metals, and on the temperatures, pressures, chemical reactions themselves.
A proposal have been submitted to investigate the formation and degradation processes of hydrothermal petroleum associated with sediment-hosted hydrothermal systems.
The focus is on the kinetics and equilibrium of reactions among organic components and gas species.
Another proposal in the making is an investigation of life at extreme conditions applicable to hydrothermal vent communities.
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Specialized
Equipment |
- Unique flexible and fixed-volume reaction cells fabricated from gold, platinum, titanium, and iridium provide an inert reaction environment.
- High temperature pressure vessels constructed from Cr-V, René 41(tm), A286, and other super alloys allow experimentation from ambient conditions up to 500°C and 1000 atmospheres.
- A unique shunted vertical furnace with a highly accurate and precise temperature control and measurement system for use with a fixed volume cell
- Four racks of two each rotating furnaces to accommodate flexible reaction cells contained within pressure vessels. The rotation minimizes temperature gradients and speeds up reaction kinetics.
- Specialized exit tubes and sampling valves to permit the sampling of internal fluids during the course of an experiment.
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Equipment
and
Technique |
EXPERIMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY
Laboratory experiments can provide information on organic and inorganic reactions and equilibration rates among minerals, ionic species, and gas components.
The experimental geochemist attempts to simulate the natural environment under controlled conditions and often gains understanding of natural processes by limiting the number of variables.
The experimental laboratory is designed to investigate the interaction of fluids with a variety of geologic materials over a wide range of temperature and pressure.
Both fixed-volume and collapsible reaction cells are used to enable the study of complex liquid-vapor-solid systems.
The equipment has the unique capability of sampling the fluid at constant temperature and pressure to evaluate the progress of reaction.
These cells are internally composed of gold and titanium, and they provide a completely inert reaction environment even at extremes of redox and pH conditions.
We have utilized these cells to carry out studies both for heterogeneous water-rock systems, and for highly constrained simple systems such as NaCl-H2O.
The results of many experiments have added to our understanding of hydrothermal systems in general and have provided specific data on the transport and deposition of metals in both vapor and liquid phases, on the sources of dissolved gas, salts, and metals, and on the temperatures, pressures, chemical reactions themselves.
Preliminary experiments are underway to investigate the formation of hydrothermal petroleum associated with sediment-hosted hydrothermal systems.
The focus is on the kinetics and equilibrium of reactions among organic components and gas species to produce hydrothermal petroleum and, by extrapolation, conventional petroleum.
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