UCAM 009/14 Thermal Gravimetric and Water Isotope Analysers.

Descriptions

The Department of Earth Sciences wish to purchase an instrument which combines a laser-based water isotope analyser (Lot 2) with a thermal gravimeter (TG) and differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) (Lot 1). This will be used to measure the amount and isotopic composition of water evolved as a mineral is step heated, i.e. differential thermal isotope analysis (DTIA). The equipment will permit the heating of a mineral sample in small increments, precisely measuring the weight loss and enthalpy as the sample undergoes dehydration and dehydroxylation, whilst simultaneously determining the oxygen and hydrogen isotopes of the water vapour evolved. The method will permit isotopic measurements of water in minerals (molecular and hydroxyl) with site-specific information that has been difficult to obtain previously.Tenders are invited for a suitable Thermal Analyser (TG-DSC/DTA/EGA) (Lot1) and/or for a suitable high-precision dD and d18O water analyser (Lot 2); any bid for one system must ensure that the system can be interfaced to the other system and should explain which other supplier their instrument would work with. Alternatively we will consider tenders for a combined solution.We also require an additional stand-alone Water Isotope Analyser (Triple Oxygen and Hydrogen) (Lot 3)