Core Facility Type

The Earth and Planetary Sciences XRD, SEM, and Sample Preparation Labs provide users the opportunity to perform a wide range of analyses on samples including X-ray powder diffraction, SEM imaging, and EBSD textural analysis, EDS chemical analysis as well as all sample preparation required for analysis. 

Equipment includes: 

• Zeiss EVO MA-10 SEM with BSE and SE imaging capabilities, EDAX detector, EBSD detector;
• Panalytical X-pert Pro diffractometer with X-celerator detector;
• carbon evaporator (for coating samples);
• various rock cutting, grinding and polishing equipment;
• petrographic microscopes and binocular microscopes with photo imaging capabilities.

Applications include:

• SEM: Secondary electron imaging, backscattered electron imaging, EDS chemical analysis and mapping, Electron Backscatter Diffraction texture analysis;
• XRD: powder diffraction phase identification, thin film analysis.