Mineral separation

The mineral separation laboratory is dedicated to the separation of light and heavy minerals of rock and sediment samples from based on magnetic and density properties. Mineral separations are mainly done for fission-track dating and geochemical/mineralogical analyses.

– Technical support
. Magnetic separation
This method allows the separation of magnetic (ferri-, ferro-, paramagnetic) and non-magnetic (silicates, carbonates, phosphates tec.) minerals. The separation is performed with two tools :

  • The Carpco, which allows a first rough separation of strongly magnetic minerals such as magnetite of large sample quantities (> 100 g).

 

Le séparateur magnétique Carpco qui permet la séparation d’échantillon de grande quantité
Exemple de séparation magnétique

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

. Density liquids
This technique is based on the difference of mineral densities. The main liquids used are the non-toxic LST (density 2.9), and the toxic methylene iodide (density 3.3).Therefore, heavy liquid separations or done using a glove box and an air-evacuation system.

Boîte à gant dédiée aux séparations par liqueur dense

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

– Contact
Nouméa Boutin-Paradis
Mail : Noumea.Boutin-Paradis univ-grenoble-alpes.fr
Phone : +33 (0)4 76 63 59 64