Standards

The Microprobe Lab has an extensive set of analytical standards, both from commercial sources and developed in house. 

COMMERCIAL STANDARDS
The lab has three broad-application standard mounts fabricated by Astimex Scientific Limited. Links provide details on the contents of each standard. 

• 53 mineral and synthetics mount MINM25-53 pictured on the right.
• 44 metals MINM25-53
• 15 rare earth standard MINM25-53
   

IN HOUSE STANDARDS

Silicate standard 

1. MgO: synthetic
2. TiO2: synthetic
3. Fe2O3: synthetic
4. Al2O3: synthetic (NIST sapphire)
5. Scapolite: ON7
6. Bytownite: Crystal Bay
7. Albite: Tiburon
8. Biotite - #1
9. Biotite - #3
10. Biotite - #7
11. Muscovite: M
12. Orthopyroxene: 25.25
13. Benitoite
14. Hornblende: Kakanui
15. Quartz: Warm Springs Mtns, UT
16. Orthoclase - OR-1
17. Labradorite: Naine
18. Andalusite: Brazil
19. Ilmenite: Binns
20. Olivine: Marjhalati
21. Clinopyroxene: 69-27
22. Clinopyroxene: 5118
23. Rhodonite: synthetic
24. Wollastonite
25. Fluorphlogopite: synthetic
26. Fayalite: synthetic
27. Ferrosilite(95)rhodonite(5): synthetic
28. Ferrosilite(90)rhodonite(10): synthetic
29. Almandine: synthetic
30. Grossular: Quebec
31. Apatite: Wilberforce
32. Fluorite: synthetic
33. Rhodochrosite
34. Calcite - B
     

Sulfide standard with 34 sulfide phases

LIL standard (synthetic in Li2B4O7 glass, Ga-Gd garnet, baddelyite)

 

1. CeO2 (20.0%)
2. Ta2O5 (33.3%)
3. Nb2O5 (33.3%)
4. Ta2O5 (14.32%); Nb2O5 (9.74%); Fe2O3 (11.02%)
5. Y2O3 (20.0%); Er2O3 (5.00%)
6. La2O3, Ce2O3, Y2O3, Nd2O3, Sm2O3, Eu2O3 (5.00% each)
7. ThO2, UO2, HfO2 (5.00% each)
8. Gd3Ga5O12(99.9%)
9. ZrO2
    

NIST Au-Cu alloys (nominal 20% solid solution).

NIST Au-Ag alloys (nominal 20% solid solution).

MP-DING synthetic glasses

• KL2
• ML3B
• StHs6/80
• GOR 128
• GOR 132
• BM 90/21
• T1
• ATHO
   

Synthetic standards

• ZnO
• MgO
• ZnSe
• SrO-SiO2 glass (JF Schairer)
• BaO-SiO2 glass (JF Schairer)
• TiO2
• SiO2 (ultrapure 99.9999%; other elements < 10 ppb; Saint-Gobain Quartz USA)
• CaF2
• SrTiO3
• Al2O3
• YVO4
• SrBaNb4O10
   

The lab also has an extensive collection of standards with high quality analytical pedigrees (most analyzed by wet chemistry), including olivines, ortho and clinopyroxenes, amphiboles, micas, plagioclases, alkali feldspars, feldspathoids, and oxides.